2012 Syrah Goldridge

When I think of the Russian River Valley and its reference-point producers, Dehlinger is always top of mind. Eva Dehlinger is back from a year of studying viticulture in Burgundy. My sense is that she has the ambition to take quality through the roof at her family's winery. The 2012 Pinots are just as exuberant and beautiful from bottle as they were from barrel. The 2013s, on the other hand, are made in a more chiseled style and offer less in the way of immediate gratification. The Pinots and Syrahs are made with fully destemmed fruit and reflect a very classic sense of Russian River exuberance. I was also quite taken with the Cabernet Sauvignons this year, not just for their quality, but also for the exceptional value they provide consumers, something that applies to all the wines here. This is another superb set of wines from one of Sonoma's pioneering families.