Weekend Wines in Sonoma, Berkeley and Carneros

Dehlinger was having an open house on Friday when I happened to be bicycling by. Have to admit I quite enjoyed the wines. The Chardonnay was made in a fully oaked "California" style, but the purity and intensity of fruit combined with lovely acidity and made this a 'wow" wine even if this is not usually my style. The Pinots were also lovely, and quite different. The 2009 Syrah seemed shut down pretty hard, but the 2011 Syrah was delicious in a meaty Rhone-y way. I was quite impressed, and they had nice snacks as well!

In Berkeley, hit up one of my favorite tiny winery projects, Lusu, in the old Steve Edmonds/Broc Cellars space on Camelia. I absolutely LOVE his new grenache....delicious funky red fruit with a hint of spritzyness until decanted. Also hit Broc Cellars. The 2013 Vine Star Zinfandel may be my favorite zinfandel right now....probably because it is so atypical. Light red fruit witha hint of funk. Still some berry notes one would expect from zinfandel, but only 12.9% alcohol. This stuff could be dangerous because it is just so slurpable. Plus, Chris seems to be such a mellow, low key nice guy despite the press he is getting!

On the second bicycle ride of the weekend Sunday, I rode out of Napa into the Carneros region. Visited a favorite Carneros winery, Bouchaine. Picked up a lovely 2013 Rose of Syrah. At the winery, the rose showed a hint of sweet strawberry fruit, tempered with bracing acidity and a savory note. At dinner that evening, however, the sweetness was not as evident, and the savory minerality really went extremely well with the Thai food in Davis.

And isn't Dehlinger a lovely site, perched up on the hill with the descending slope of wild flowers (although I assume they're not blooming now. I used to love to go by there in spring and summer, stop and wander through the organe poppies and red clover clustered around the old barn.

Always liked their wine too. I could appreciate the Chardonnay, even though it was in a style I did not like, it was still well-made. Loved their Pinots too. But eventually, oddly enough, it was their Syrah that emerged as my most admired. They have produces some good ones over the years.

Also I'm impressed in that they seem eminently comfortable with being what they are, and continuing that rather than looking for greater volume or driving the price ever higher and higher. They like who they are; and I like that.

It was the 2011 Syrah that I bought, Hoke (the 2009 was extremely closed, imho). I hid it in the bushes at the end of the driveway and came back in my car.

and I echo your comments about the Chardonnay, obviously, except that DESPITE the style it was just delicious!