2011 Dehlinger Syrah Goldridge Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Inky ruby. Heady aromas of black raspberry, blueberry, potpourri and Asian spices, along with a subtle note of cracked pepper. Smooth, spicy and expansive, offering palate-staining black and blue fruit flavors and a suave note of candied flowers. Clings nicely on the long, penetrating, youthfully tannic finish, with the berry and floral notes repeating.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A dense, dark, brooding wine, the 2011 Syrah Goldridge is massively shut down at this stage. Dark cherries, smoke, gravel and violets struggle to emerge from a wall of imposing tannins. Tom Dehlinger's wines are rarely this forbidding young. It will be interesting to watch how the 2011 develops over the coming years. Today it is a bit burly, but if the tannins soften, it may turn out even better than this note suggests.
The 2011 Syrah Goldridge is somewhat superficial and compact. This one-dimensional but pleasant effort should be drunk over the next 2-3 years. The ever reliable Tom Dehlinger continues to turn out realistically priced wines of exceptionally high quality. Their newest offerings, the Altamont Pinot Noir and Syrah, come from a hilltop vineyards planted in gravelly red soils previously called “Estate.” The Frei Road Syrah emanates from a 2.5-acre block of what was the Martinelli-owned Zio Tony Ranch. Dehlinger has never been one to utilize a tremendous amount of new oak for their Chardonnay program, and both the 2010 and 2011 Estate Chardonnays reflect that. Tel. (707) 823-2378