Dehlinger www.dehlingerwinery.com
4101 Vine Hill Rd, Sebastopol, CA 95472.
(707) 823-2378
Dehlinger (DAY-leen-ger) is a family owned and run winery that gets all of its fruit from its own estate in the Russian River Valley. Winemaking is done by Tom Dehlinger along with his daughter Eva. His daughter Carmen handles customer relations. Marty Hedlund, their vineyard manager, has been working with them since 1988. Even their crew works exclusively for them. Their first vintage from estate grapes was 1977. They started small, producing less than 1000 cases for several years and slowly increased production to their present level of about 7000 cases a year. Tom has refused to increase production beyond this in order to preserve the quality he demands. All of the wines, except for the rosé (not tasted), undergo 100% malolactic fermentation and are bottled unfiltered. Tours/Tastings are offered by appointment on Fridays.
Carmen Dehlinger, our guide, started us off with info about the estate, grapes and soils, while we looked out into the vineyard. We then moved inside to see where the wines were made and stored (I've never seen such a clean winery, everything was imaculate). We ended in the charmingly intimate little tasting room. Thanks Carmen for the great tour and the fantastic wines!
92 2008 Dehlinger Estate Chardonnay (Russian River Valley) $35
Wente Clone 14.9%alc
Overall: Elegant butterscotch and yellow pear supported by excellent minerality and acidity. Light heavyweight with a silky mouthfeel. Fruit becomes more flowery in the mouth with complex lees flavors. Minerality keeps it light on its feet.90+ 2008 Dehlinger Estate Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) $50
14.9%alc
Overall: Black cherry fruit with elegant cedar and a touch of lavender. A solid middleweight with excellent fruit and acidity. Finish is flowery and lingers, but slightly restrained. Should improve with a few years of bottle age.89+ 2008 Dehlinger Goldridge Vineyard Syrah (Russian River Valley) $35
14.9%alc
Overall: Wild blackberry and blueberry fruit with very good structure, interesting minerality and some briar. An elegant, Northern Rhone style. Again, should improve with a few years of bottle age.92 2008 Dehlinger Claret (Russian River Valley) $35
14.9%alc
Overall: Deep garnet with graphite pencil, fresh blackberries and elegant smoke. These flavors are concentrated and persistent from start to finish, supported by excellent acidity and some tannin. Has a tangy mouthfeel that coats. The finish is long and lively. An outstanding, acidity-driven, Margaux-like style.Final Thoughts: These are all very high quality, structured, balanced wines with elegance. I really love their polished style. They should all improve with a few years in bottle, but are also quite accessible and enjoyable now. Classic Russian River Valley in the best sense!
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