This pristinely cellared bottle was decanted off of its moderate sediment and serially sampled over the ensuing three hours. Still a youthful deep ruby in color, it offers an equally youthful aromatic profile of blackberries, dark plums, licorice, Asian spices, lavender and white pepper. Medium-to-full-bodied, freshly acidic, judiciously oaked and with well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14.9%), it delivers flavors in line with the aromas, adding notes of bittersweet chocolate and holiday spice cake. There are still plenty of residual tannins to provide a solid backbone for the fruit, but those same tannins are silky smooth in texture. Layered on the mid-palate and finishing long, this is yet another Dehlinger Syrah with longevity that the pundits failed to predict. Comparably cellared bottles should sail through the decade with ease. Drink now-2030.
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Upon first decant similar notes to my last bottle: black raspberry/blackberry, peppercorn, garrigue or savory/herbal undertones, maybe some anise/5 spice as well. Day 2 the fruit subsides and it’s much more black pepper, earthy tones and savory herbs up front. A briny note comes through on the palate along with these savory. Tannins are very fine and mostly resolved.
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Upon decanting notes of brambly fruit, meat, pepper and garrigue. Very perfumed and still very fresh. 1 more bottle in my cellar and I’m confident it could go at least another few years. Well done Tom.
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A real disappointment. I'm generally a fan of Dehlinger's wines, and their syrahs in particular, but this was not up to their usual standards. This was a huge, bombastic syrah with little in the way of secondary nuances, just gobs and gobs of jammy fruit with small hints of other characteristics trying to break through. This didn't improve as the evening went on, either. I'm hoping this was an atypical bottle.
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Lots of Wines and Liquor with the neighbors (Our home): These take a long time to come around, but I have a few. Pop and pour and shared over six hours. Purple in color. Pretty classic cool climate CA Syrah. The nose is really nice, better than the palate. Black raspberries, black pepper, some earthy/leather notes and a slight dark chocolate quality. There is also a slightly green element that comes out with air. Herbal, not bell pepper with a slight roast. On the palate, this is still young. Show a slight complexity. A bit hard on the palate. If the palate catches up to the nose, a few points improvement possible but I don't think it will. Still, I will wait a bit longer.
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Similar to my 10/26/11 note, much more so than the 8/7/14. This was singing, not a hair out of place, with no off-notes anywhere. Last bottle drinking in a great place.
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I think I like Dehlinger Syrah more on the young side, whereas with the Pinot I like them at least 5 years old. This was drinking well but was just a bit foursquare. The fruit has faded a bit, leaving some secondary elements such as chocolate and tobacco, but there wasn't the verve that I wanted. Nothing wrong, just not as good as last time.
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A very nice syrah from one of my favorite default wineries. We had just come off of a night with a 2002 Arietta Block H which blew our mind so by any standards another bottle of wine would be a let down. This was solid on both the nose and finish. Black fruit, lead taste but smooth. Nice wine.
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Had with a friend before a concert at a restaurant. Wine opened with a very big, tough, invasive taste. It could have been the food I was having but it took a while for this wine to mellow out so it's flavor could emerge. When it did it will a pleasant Dehlinger wine but not even close to some of the Goldridge's I've had in the past. This wine is too big and needs another year or two to mellow.
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Did not like on night one. Massive dark fruit. I was busy the next two nights. On night four, fruit somewhat resolved and approachable, but replaced by butter and toothpicks.
2 on the AF scale.
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For me the trick with Dehlinger is to keep;your hands off of it for 4-6 years, very smooth and not over extracted...very elegant...superb with lamb rack.
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Day one: Medium-light garnet color. Nose of cassis, leather, animal, anise, a hint of sage. Good tension on the front palate with red and blue fruit, expansive on the mid-palate with medium/medium- acidity. Long finish with chocolate and tobacco, well integrated tannin and very little if any heat.
Day two: the fruit is just in the back seat to the structure and secondary elements here, and it is fantastically balanced. Used the last few splashes on some kale with peperoncini picantes and it was just great.
I had the chance to visit the winery and it was a pretty darn hot Saturday in Sonoma, so perhaps that's why I am so surprised that I could easily mistake this for a young Hermitage (save the alcohol content). Delicious, thanks Tom Dehlinger! 14.9% ABV.
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6/12/2023 - wiscgrad wrote: 90 Points
doesn't show the high ABV. still plenty of fruit. not sure it shows the varietal very well, but a tasty older red and good QPR from winebid
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10/29/2022 - llink wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Deep blackberry and dark fruit compote nose. Lush fruit, coarse grained tannins and still quite primary.
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7/22/2021 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 94 Points
This pristinely cellared bottle was decanted off of its moderate sediment and serially sampled over the ensuing three hours. Still a youthful deep ruby in color, it offers an equally youthful aromatic profile of blackberries, dark plums, licorice, Asian spices, lavender and white pepper. Medium-to-full-bodied, freshly acidic, judiciously oaked and with well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14.9%), it delivers flavors in line with the aromas, adding notes of bittersweet chocolate and holiday spice cake. There are still plenty of residual tannins to provide a solid backbone for the fruit, but those same tannins are silky smooth in texture. Layered on the mid-palate and finishing long, this is yet another Dehlinger Syrah with longevity that the pundits failed to predict. Comparably cellared bottles should sail through the decade with ease. Drink now-2030.
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1/22/2020 - DeuceMcgee Likes this wine:
Upon first decant similar notes to my last bottle: black raspberry/blackberry, peppercorn, garrigue or savory/herbal undertones, maybe some anise/5 spice as well.
Day 2 the fruit subsides and it’s much more black pepper, earthy tones and savory herbs up front. A briny note comes through on the palate along with these savory. Tannins are very fine and mostly resolved.
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6/8/2019 - DeuceMcgee Likes this wine:
Upon decanting notes of brambly fruit, meat, pepper and garrigue. Very perfumed and still very fresh. 1 more bottle in my cellar and I’m confident it could go at least another few years. Well done Tom.
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2/10/2018 - MikeCW wrote: flawed
Strange bottle. Purchased from winery and stored perfectly since. Not corked but completely off putting nose. Went down the drain.
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8/25/2017 - napasoutherner wrote: 94 Points
Very nice bottle. Some spice and earth but balanced well with dark fruit
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8/4/2017 - ilcalmo wrote: 86 Points
A real disappointment. I'm generally a fan of Dehlinger's wines, and their syrahs in particular, but this was not up to their usual standards. This was a huge, bombastic syrah with little in the way of secondary nuances, just gobs and gobs of jammy fruit with small hints of other characteristics trying to break through. This didn't improve as the evening went on, either. I'm hoping this was an atypical bottle.
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11/7/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
Lots of Wines and Liquor with the neighbors (Our home): These take a long time to come around, but I have a few. Pop and pour and shared over six hours. Purple in color. Pretty classic cool climate CA Syrah. The nose is really nice, better than the palate. Black raspberries, black pepper, some earthy/leather notes and a slight dark chocolate quality. There is also a slightly green element that comes out with air. Herbal, not bell pepper with a slight roast. On the palate, this is still young. Show a slight complexity. A bit hard on the palate. If the palate catches up to the nose, a few points improvement possible but I don't think it will. Still, I will wait a bit longer.
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3/30/2016 - bcg14 wrote: 91 Points
Dark plum aroma and flavors - more savory than fruity. Slightly past peak on its own, but truly sublime with marinated tri-tip.
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11/11/2015 - SeaSmoke wrote: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully.
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7/31/2015 - bcg14 wrote: 90 Points
Slightly past peak, with light bacon fat, resolved tannins, and great balance. Nice food wine.
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7/25/2015 - SeaSmoke wrote: 91 Points
Unchanged from my notes in June 2015
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7/1/2015 - alr6767 wrote: 93 Points
Similar to my 10/26/11 note, much more so than the 8/7/14. This was singing, not a hair out of place, with no off-notes anywhere. Last bottle drinking in a great place.
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6/24/2015 - SeaSmoke wrote: 91 Points
Deep, dark red fruits, full bodied but not overly ripe, nice balance. This is drinking beautifully now.
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8/7/2014 - alr6767 wrote: 90 Points
I think I like Dehlinger Syrah more on the young side, whereas with the Pinot I like them at least 5 years old. This was drinking well but was just a bit foursquare. The fruit has faded a bit, leaving some secondary elements such as chocolate and tobacco, but there wasn't the verve that I wanted. Nothing wrong, just not as good as last time.
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2/16/2014 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very nice syrah from one of my favorite default wineries. We had just come off of a night with a 2002 Arietta Block H which blew our mind so by any standards another bottle of wine would be a let down. This was solid on both the nose and finish. Black fruit, lead taste but smooth. Nice wine.
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9/7/2013 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had with a friend before a concert at a restaurant. Wine opened with a very big, tough, invasive taste. It could have been the food I was having but it took a while for this wine to mellow out so it's flavor could emerge. When it did it will a pleasant Dehlinger wine but not even close to some of the Goldridge's I've had in the past. This wine is too big and needs another year or two to mellow.
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4/14/2013 - dtirsell Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aerated and served with tri tip. Well blended, earth and blueberry on the finish.
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1/13/2013 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 82 Points
Did not like on night one. Massive dark fruit. I was busy the next two nights. On night four, fruit somewhat resolved and approachable, but replaced by butter and toothpicks.
2 on the AF scale.
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10/14/2012 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
For me the trick with Dehlinger is to keep;your hands off of it for 4-6 years, very smooth and not over extracted...very elegant...superb with lamb rack.
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10/9/2012 - JimKov wrote: 92 Points
Very nice aromas, well balanced Pinot. Wish I had more
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5/20/2012 - dtirsell wrote: 91 Points
Dark, thick and rich, still young with a touch of heat and legs. Medium nose of oak and red raspberry.
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3/6/2012 - plitton wrote: 92 Points
Some nice earth and barnyard.
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1/28/2012 - CMCLR wrote: 91 Points
Very good
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10/29/2011 - Porchino wrote: 88 Points
Very light for syrah but France just does this better
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10/26/2011 - alr6767 wrote: 93 Points
Day one: Medium-light garnet color. Nose of cassis, leather, animal, anise, a hint of sage. Good tension on the front palate with red and blue fruit, expansive on the mid-palate with medium/medium- acidity. Long finish with chocolate and tobacco, well integrated tannin and very little if any heat.
Day two: the fruit is just in the back seat to the structure and secondary elements here, and it is fantastically balanced. Used the last few splashes on some kale with peperoncini picantes and it was just great.
I had the chance to visit the winery and it was a pretty darn hot Saturday in Sonoma, so perhaps that's why I am so surprised that I could easily mistake this for a young Hermitage (save the alcohol content). Delicious, thanks Tom Dehlinger! 14.9% ABV.
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