Shay A

9.2

My first time with Dehlinger Syrah. I believe this ‘08 estate is all from their Altamont vineyard in the Russian River Valley.

Deep red/purple in the glass, hardly any bricking. Aromatics of ripe red and black berries, violets, and sweet spices. I don’t detect any savory notes and assuming no use of whole clusters as I don’t get any type of green/lifted profile. Even at 15-16yrs, this is deep with fruit…black raspberries, black currant, dark cocoa, fig, vein of sweetness down the middle, but with a coffee/mocha grippy finish. Followed over two days and, shockingly, held up just fine. Pop the corks and enjoy. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Pop and poured; consumed over five days. Best on day three and four. The 2016 pours a deep garnet, bearing purple with a near opaque core. Medium+ viscosity with some fine sediment. On the nose, brambles, garrigue, lavender and borsellino. It sort of reminds me of a damp earthen basement in the most endearing of ways. On the palate, the wine the dry; medium+ tannins that build through day four before softening. Acid is medium. The fruit set from the nose is confirmed…it’s a lot of delicious fruit with some leather, black pepper and earth. Long finish. These needed some time and the rewards are beginning to show. I have another bottle left and I’ll save that for a few years down the road. — 2 years ago

Gerard Jacinto

9.0

Great color! Medium-deep garnet. Full bodied with an aroma of smoked prosciutto and red fruits. Silky smooth with fruity flavors prevailing. Hot and spicy in your mouth and down the throat. Medium tannins but overall interesting experience! Lacking in taste/overall balance but still a great buy. — 3 years ago

Taylor

9.0

Deep red. Very wine tasting, no fruit — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Somewhat analogous with my 2013 Chave Blanc impression, this was more about peering into the bright future in store for this wine. The potential is simply buried deep beneath the surface. All the stuffing is there for a special wine down the road. While enjoyable now, patience will be handsomely rewarded. Personally, I wouldn’t touch well-cellared examples until much closer to 2030. — 2 years ago

Conrad Green

9.3

This is dark and primary still. A tarry nose with a medicinal twist (Benadryl?). The palate is ripe and blocky. Few signs of its substantial age- deep and rich. Like an old school Cornas. Apparently these has 3-6 months contract with skin with minimal punching down which explains their unusual longevity. Amazing stuff. — 2 years ago

with Tony, Walker and 2 others

Severn Goodwin

9.3

No new-ish notes tonight, except that at ~2 years since our prior bottle, the alcohol heat has considerably subsided, also chocolate+fig+cigar box now in the nose. Decanted 3h.
Paired to Allen Bros. tenderloin tails, grilled to a beautiful 130°F (55°C), smashed new potatoes from our garden and local, mid-season sweet corn (it's the best time of the year to enjoy corn).

I now suggest this wine (2013) can hold, in proper storage, until 2028-33 until a very good drinking window.

Prior notes:
45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Franc & 5% Petit Verdot

Color is deep plum, like totally opaque, but a beautiful semi-translucent blackberry color at the edge of the glass.

Nose is liquor of cassis, some noticable heat from the alcohol (14.5%), plum juice, light oak.
Palate is very smooth, dusty plum, blackberry, blueberry skin, mocha, coffee bean; tannins are still grippy, finish is about 45s.

Generally a very nice bottle, we bought this in March '18, just getting to it tonight finally. Very impressed by this effort, light years ahead of the entry level Balbo wines. We only ever came across this once, $35 was a solid buy, and hands down my favorite Balbo wine to date. — 4 years ago

Shay A

9.3

Had this a few times, but I was finally able to sit down and analyze it over an evening. Their only cuvée produced in 2014.

Upfront, rollercoaster aromatics initially…rich, then mellowed out with an hour of air. After a few hours of air, a much more ripe CdP profile came out. Great bridge wine from Cali GSMs to bigger CdPs. Deep red in the glass with aromatics of fig, brambly red and black fruits. On the palate, big but not unbalanced. No trace of brett. Soft fig, muddled underripe black cherry, garrigue (smoked herbs); lengthy finish. Kiss of black pepper. Big Grenache vibe here. Lovely with air. Probably best in the near term based on the fruit forward structure. — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

The first of my small tranche of 2019 Cuvée Reservée’s and I figured it would be fun to share with the Tasting Group. Popped and poured and presented double-blind. The wine pours a translucent, deep ruby with magenta rim, near opaque core, medium+ viscosity. On the nose, the wine was clean with macerated raspberry, cranberry, and pomegranate fruits. There were purple flowers, some black pepper and rocky minerality along with a slightly gamey note which was quite charming. Both the fruit and non-fruit characteristics were confirmed on the palate. The wine finishes dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. There’s a compelling sense of power and energy in this wine. Everyone was in the Rhône but most were in the North; from Saint Joseph to Cornas, citing that they believed this was Syrah. However, two in the group called Châteauneuf du Pape and one actually called producer (!!) but missed on vintage (2016). Universally, the wine was fawned over and the dude who called Pagaü thought he actually favored the 2019 over the 2016 he had a while back. While I’m not sure I would go that far, the 2019 is truly quite stunning already and seems to have the guts to see a very long and wonderful life ahead. These are currently enjoying their customary early drinking window however, that window will likely close within a year or so and then I could see this shutting down pretty hard until 2025 — 2 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.3

Surprising. Deep brooding color. Intense aromas of deep, ripe bramble and hints of peppery spice. A touch of VA on the nose. On the palate the fruit is ripe and slightly chewy and the acidity balances out the ripe fruit. I’m very surprised by the alcohol level. Only 13.4%!!! This is one is by no means watered down? It’s pure and intense, and there’s no green underripe fruit here? #pasorobles #gsmblend #gsm — 3 years ago