We tried last night (2/10/16) Some Calif Syrahs:
1. Dehlinger Syrah RRV (EB; 13.5%) 1992: Dark color w/ slight bricking; some wet wool/wet dog fur/old red some earthy
slight blackberry/Syrah light cedary/pencilly/smokey complex bit tired nose; lightly tart bit tired/dried out rather
cedary/pencilly/smokey light blackberry/Syrah flavor w/ light/smooth bit drying tannins; very long cedary/pencilly/
smokey some blackberry/Syrah finish w/ light smooth tannins; turning into an aged red but still has a bit of
Syrah fruit left in it and still offers up some pleasure.
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2. Dehlinger Syrah RRV (EB; 14.5%) 1995: Med.dark color w/ no bricking; lovely smokey/cedary/pencilly very slight
VA/EA/lifted strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah rather complex nose; soft/smooth strong cedary/pencilly/smokey/
Dehlinger oak strong blackberry/Syrah/spicy light earthy flavor w/ light smooth/gentle tannins; very long/
lingering delicate/silky some smokey/Dehlinger oak strong spicy/blackberry/Syrah finish w/ light smooth/velvety
tannins; reminds a bit of an old Qupe Syrah w/ more fruit; a beautiful fully-mature Syrah in splendid shape.
Contribution of BlairSwartz.
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3. Dehlinger Syrah FreiRd/RRV (15.4%) 2009: Dark color; beautiful strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah rather pungent/
herbal/thyme light smokey/Dehlinger oak quite spicy bit alcoholic nose; soft ripe/blackberry/blueberry/Syrah slight
pungent/herbal some smokey/toasty/oak light earthy less fruit flavor w/ modest smooth tannins; very long/lingering
strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/spicy some smokey/Dehlinger oak fiish w/ some smooth/ripe tannins; fairly big/ripe
Syrah w/ classical Dehlinger oak. $43.20 (vBS)
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4. Dehlinger Syrah FreiRd/RRV (15.6%) 2010: Dark color; strong smokey/toasty/Dehlinger oak strong blueberry/blackberry/
Syrah/spicy very perfumed/aromatic rather ripe classic Dehlinger Syrah lovely nose; soft quite ripe/lush/rich strong
blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah less spicy light smokey/toasty/oak flavor w/ modest smooth/ripe tannins; very long/
lingering ripe/bit alcoholic/lush/rich/soft strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah some toasty/oak/smokey finish w/
some smooth/ripe tannins; clearly on the ripe side but not straying into overripe territory; a classic Dehlinger
Syrah. $43.00 (vBS)
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5. Dehlinger Syrah FreiRd/RRV (15.1%) 2011: Dark color; strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah light toasty/pencilly/
Dehlinger oak some cracked black pepper beautiful complex perfumed nose; bit tarter/tangy strong blueberry/Syrah/
blackberry light toasty/oak fairly complex flavor w/ modest slightly harder tannins; very long/lingering strong
blueberry/blackberry/Syrah some Dehlinger/toasty/oak bit cracked black pepper finish w/ some ripe/hard tannins;
the most interesting and my favorite of the Frei Syrahs. $49.25 (vBS)
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6. Dehlinger Syrah Altamont/RRV (EB; 14.9%) 2010: Dark color; strong blackberry/Syrah/blueberry quite spicy light
toasty/Dehlinger oak less ripe/opulent slight earthy/herbal lovely nose; lightly tart/tangy light pencilly/oak
strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah light earthy lovely flavor w/ modest smooth tannins; very long/lingering strong
blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/rather spicy light Dehlinger oak/pencilly light earthyfinish w/ some smooth tannins;
less bombastic/opulent than the Frei Syrahs and more towards the Pinot part of Syrah; beautiful Syrah. $40.50 (vBS)
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7. Dehlinger Syrah Altamont RRV/SonomaCnty (EB; 14.8%) 2011: Dark color; lighter blackberry/blueberry/Syrah slight
black pepper light toasty/pencilly/oak lovely aromatic nose; bit tarter/leaner strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah
lighter pencilly/toasty/oak flavor w/ light slight bitey tannins; very long/lingering strong blueberry/blackberry/
Syrah some pencilly/oak finish w/ light bit bitey tannins; bit more angular/restrained/tighter than the '10;
a really lovely classic Dehlinger Syrah. $40.50 (vBS)
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8. Dehlinger Syrah GoldRidge/RRV (EB; 14.7%) 2011: Very dark color; bit more pencilly/smokey/Dehlinger oak very strong
blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/very spicy slight peppery/licorice/valve oil classic Dehlinger aromatic nose; lightly
tart very spicy/blackberry/Syrah/blueberry slight peppery/licorice/black cherry cola slight valve oil/mineral
classical Dehlinger Syrah flavor w/ modest smooth tannins; very long/lingering very strong blackberry/Syrah/
blueberry/very spicy some complex balanced finish w/ some ripe/smooth tannins; more focused & pure/quintessential
Dehlinger Syrah; my slight favorite of the Dehlingers. $43.00 (vBS)
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9. Dehlinger Syrah GoldRidge/RRV (EB; 14.8%) 2012: Dark color bit richer/opulent/flamboyant very strong blackberry/
blueberry/Syrah/very spicy some pencilly/Dehlinger oak bit simpler lovely nose; softer bit richer/lusher/riper
very strong blackberry/Syrah/blueberry light smokey/pencilly/oak flavor w/ modest firm tannins; very long/lingering
strong blackberry/Syrah/blueberry/some spicy bit alcoholic some pencilly/Dehlinger oak simpler finish w/ some
firm/ripe tannins; a bit simpler & more opulent than the '11; classic Dehlinger Syrah that needs age. $49.25 (vBS)
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10. Unti Syrah DCV (14.7%; 1050 cs) 2012: Med.dark color; strong perfumed/aromatic blackberry/blueberry/raspberry/
Syrah some floral/lilacs quite attractive nose; lightly tart bright floral/lilacs/violets strong blackberry/Syrah/
spicy very light toasty/oak flavor w/ light firm tannins; very long floral/violets strong raspberry/blackberry/
Syrah/spicy light toasty/oak finish w/ modest tannins; quite an attractive Syrah and one of the better DryCreek
Vlly Syrahs I've had. $30.00
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11. Unti Syrah Benchland DCV (14.8%; 525 cs) 2012: Med.dark color; intense burnt/charred/toasty/oak light blackberry/
Syrah/spicy light DCV/raspberry/bit Zin-like slight reductive/pungent/licorice strange nose; lightly tart very
strong burnt/charred/toasty/smokey/oak slight blackberry/raspberry/Syrah/spicy big/rich/structured flavor w/ some
hard/ripe tannins; very long very strong burnt/charred/toasty/oak some blackberry/raspberry/Syrah bit tart finish
w/ some hard tannins; a big/rich/structured Syrah but seems out of balance and dominated by the burnt oak; may
get better w/ some age on it. $40.00
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12. EdmundsStJohn Rocks&Gravel UntiVnyd/DryCreekVlly (13.8%; 50% Syrah/42% Grenache/8% Mourvedre) 2009: Med.color;
very attractive spicy blackberry/plummy/strawberry light earthy/dusty/smokey quite fragrant/complex nose; slight
brett/leathery some blackberry/plummy/Syrah light earthy/smokey smooth/silky rather complex flavor w/ light
graceful tannins; quite long/lingering some blackberry/Syrah/plummy/strawberry light earthy/smokey quite complex
finish w/ light silky tannins; a beautiful complex blend probably near its peak. $25.00
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13. EdmundsStJohn Rocks&Gravel UntiVnyd/DryCreekVlly (13.1%; 40% Syrah/39% Grenache/21% Mourvedre)
2010: Med.light color; light spicy rather strawberry/Grenache/earthy slight EA/volatile bit smokey/coffee rather
perfumed attractive bit complex nose; lighter bit tart quite smokey/Grenache/spicy/strawberry light smokey/earthy
very pretty smooth/drinkable/balanced flavor w/ light gentle tannins; very long slight smokey/earthy rather
Grenache/strawberry balanced/smooth finish w/ light smooth tannins; quite a pretty wine that speaks mostly of
Grenache and starting to show some development; good drink now but should be more interesting in 2-4 yrs. $27.00
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14. EdmundsStJohn Rocks&Gravel UntiVnyd/DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty (55% Grenache/27% Syrah/18% Mourv;
13.7%) Skin of Our Teeth/Alameda 2012: Med.light comor; bit simple Grcanary islandsenache/strawberry/spicy/grapey
bit earthy/dusty rather pleasant/simple nose; lightly tart pleasant/simple/strawberry/Grenache/blackberry/plummy
bit earthy/dusty pleasant enough flavor w/ light tannins; long pleasant/grapey/fruity/Grenache/strawberry/raspberry
light earth/dusty finish w/ light gentle tannins; a pretty little Grenache that shows no potential that I can see
but you have to believe it will evolve into something interesting. $28.25
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Blabberings from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Unti: I've never been much of a fan of DryCreekVlly Syrahs. LouPreston made a few very good ones back in his
day...but his day seems to have come & gone. The Carlisles have been my easy favorites. And I've liked the
Ridges, though they can be a bit atypical of Syrah. But, by & large, the other DCV Syrahs have often been
more like Zin than Syrah. This Unti Syrah was one of the better ones I've found. OTOH, the Benchland Syrah was
a rather strange beast. At first, people were dismissing it as a very stinky wine. That cleared up a bit in the
glass, but the wine was pretty much dominated by the burnt/charred oak; maybe a bit on the reductive side.
It reminded me some of the Alban Syrahs, but w/o the intense fruit & extract those usually show. I think it
might be an interesting Syrah down the road w/ age, but that's not a given.
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2. R&G: I have to admit that Steve's R&G is probably the least interesting of his wines he makes. I usually taste
them when they're first released, oftentimes w/ Steve at CafeRouge, and think "Meh...a pleasant enough little
red...but where's the beef??". However, because of their balance I guess, they have this uncanny knack of rising
up & biting you on the a$$ after a few yrs in the btl. Such was the case w/ these three R&G's. The '09 was a
beautiful/fully-mature red that was great drinking. The '12??? ....meh!! But I have litte doubt that it'll turn
into a lovely wine down the road. Sometimes you just gotta believe that Steve knows what he's doing!!! It's a wine
I don't understand, yet I keep buying it yr after yr.
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3. Dehlinger: Dehlinger is a wnry that flies under most people's radars. Like Siduri, they are most known for their
Pinots. But I, in fact, am most taken by their Syrahs. Typically buy everyone they make. The Altamont and the
GoldRidge come from separate blocks of 3 acres of Syrah on their Estate, with an occasional bigger EastFace
Syrah produced in some yrs. The FreiRanch Syrah, from purchased grapes, is a recent addition to their portfolio.
All of these wines come thru Blair, who has been on the Dehlinger mailing list from the very start.
The Dehlinger Syrahs have a very distinctive style to them that shouts of Dehlinger. The oak treatment is
very similar between their Pinots and their Syrahs, very distinctive Dehlinger, yet not overdone. Between the
Altamont & Goldridge, it is tough to choose, but a slight edge goes to the Goldridge. The FreiRd is not quite
to the level of their Estate Syrahs, maybe because its on the riper side.
But make no mistake, Dehlinger is making world-class Syrahs the equal of any in Calif.
Tom