Tasting Note                         

93+   2008  Dehlinger  Chardonnay (Russian River Valley)   7/24/15  ($40)

   14.9% alc
Color: Medium bright gold. Approaching maturity, but still shows some color of youth. (3.0) Bouquet: Hazelnut, crisp Chard fruit (zippy pear and apple) and lively minerality. (3.0) Body: Light heavyweight with excellent fruit, acidity and minerality. Rich and tangy mouthfeel that coats. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but shows more intensity. Piney and rich with nothing out of place. (3.5) Finish: Hazelnut and tart pear fruit to the fore. Long and persistent. (3.5)
Overall: Wow, is this intense, yet elegantly restrained for Sonoma with Burgundian minerality thrown in. Hazelnut and tart pear propel this. Shows hints of pine and key lime as well. Probably at its best now, but has a few years left in it and might even improve. Definitely the best vintage of this wine, and possibly the best RRV Chardonnay, I've tasted. (16.5)

Main Page                                             

          Copyright © 2006 - 2015,  Paul DeRose , WineOutpost.com