2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Russian River Valley)

I tasted a large number of wines with Tom and Eva Dehlinger, including several older wines, all of which have held up beautifully. These remain some of the most fairly priced wines in California. Tom Dehlinger describes 2009 as a very cool Pinot vintage. Dehlinger reports that yields in 2009 are down approximately 40% because of cold weather before and during bloom. The Pinot ripened evenly, and the harvest started on September 4th as opposed to late August, which is more typical in these sites, once know for their similarly early-maturing apples. In 2009 Dehlinger bottled High Plains Pinot separately rather than blending it into the Altamont, which is frequently the case, as it is again in 2010. Rains during the harvest were trickier for the later-ripening Syrah, which wasn't picked until October 20th. Elegance and freshness are the hallmarks of the 2009 Syrahs, which stand in stark contrast to the riper, more concentrated 2008s. Vintage 2010 is another story completely. The Pinot harvest was even later than in 2009, and didn't get started until September 22nd. In 2009 Dehlinger has several new wines, including a Zinfandel. Dehlinger made Zinfandel from 1975 to 1983. When the opportunity arose to purchase high quality Zinfandel and Petit Sirah, Dehlinger decided it was time to take the plunge.

Tom Dehlinger said that he had a feeling the fruit would come out well in 2008 "because it was a dry spring, and that's usually an indicator of a strong vintage." While he thinks that his '08 reds will age very well he said that he'll be very happy drinking them on the young side as well. "With pinot it's usually unlikely that you're going to be disappointed if you drink them at five years old, at least for me," he added. Of special note this year is the release of Dehlinger's first zin (and a zin/petite sirah blend) since 1983. "I had the chance to buy some great grapes from a vineyard that impresses me and 2009 was such a wonderful vintage so I couldn't resist," he said. "It was like going back in time making them; I loved it."