Dehlinger, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley

Pop and pour, drank half the bottle over 2 hours. This is a fresh, lively, energetic and friendly chardonnay. There is well-integrated light oak that lends support, light to medium-bodied with lemon, honey, flint, custard and tropical fruit.

2018 vintage

Solid, well made wine, somewhat out of character for Dehlinger with much more minerality than most vintages. Thought it might have been slightly over the hill upon opening because of the lack of typical fruity richness, but it developed significantly to days 2 and 3.

2011 vintage

P 'n' p. Terrific acid balance; great with food.

2018 vintage

Golden in color. 14.2% ABV. Beautiful nose of tropical fruits, lemon oil and vanilla creme brulee. Full bodied with tremendous acidity. Rich, lush and oily. Pear, apple, nutmeg and Meyer Lemon on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Not as fresh and vibrant as previous bottles. Best over the next several years.

2018 vintage

Pop and pour, drank half the bottle over 2 hours. This is a fresh, lively, energetic and friendly chardonnay. There is well-integrated light oak that lends support, light to medium-bodied with lemon, honey, flint, custard and tropical fruit.

2018 vintage

Opened with a platter of sushi and it went well with a palate of wildflower, orange, a touch of pineapple and just the right amount of oak to keep it all in balance. A really good QPR

2016 vintage

About as extracted as you will get from a Russian River Valley wine. And just about as oxidized. Butterscotch, aged peach creme brulee. Golden color in the glass. However, I really did not detect any taint in this wine.... The oxidation spoke for itself.

2018 vintage

Gold in color. 14.2% ABV. Big nose of tropical fruits, honey, pear and toast. Full bodied with perfect acidity. Incredibly lush and rich. Butterscotch, Meyer Lemon, vanilla creme brulee and minerals on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Perhaps a little bigger than I typically expect from Dehlinger but delicious nonetheless. Best over the next 2-4 years.

2018 vintage

Nice but not profound. Medium body, some citrus, cream, integrated light oak, medium finish

2018 vintage

I liked this very much, although I consumed my glass-and-a-half during a very lively and nicely spiced dinner, preceded by a couple of JD's on the rocks, so it might be even better than I think it is; FWIW, an easy 92.

2018 vintage

Beautiful color and complexity. Thoroughly enjoyed.

2018 vintage

This wine has evolved; alive and still kicking. Golden, Sauternes nose, honey, nuts, orange peel, very decent finish and length. Thinking we got a bit fortunate.

2008 vintage

At cellar temp, pretty full bodied with a creamy texture and definitely on the ripe side of Sonoma Chardonnay. Good if you like the style, little bit of oak but nothing offensive.

2018 vintage

It showed better earlier this year. Alcohol crept in a tiny bit on the finish. I’d say drink up cold. Beautiful still with good complexity. 4 of 4

2018 vintage

One of my favorite chards from this producer. Drinking now. Core of wonderful fruit with delicate overtones of peach,pear, mild oak. Long finish. Yum.

2016 vintage

Still good rich flavor,color and finish baked potato soup

2007 vintage

From memory, this was fresh and well-balanced, a relief after the previous flawed bottle: a nimble wine with a nice sense of the Russian River Valley terroir.

2018 vintage

Too old ,lost fruit. Cook with this

2008 vintage

Were this bottle not slightly oxidized, I think it would have been delicious and complex. As it was, it was drinkable, but with pleasure marred by the flaw. Stored well, purchased direct from vintner. First of four.

2018 vintage

Good with shrimp orzo salad

2011 vintage

Not right for dish

2008 vintage

Gold in color. 14.2% ABV. Gorgeous nose of tropical fruits, Meyer Lemon and vanilla bean. Full bodied with perfect acidity. Super lush and rich. Pear, pineapple, hazelnuts and lemon oil on the palate. Nice length on the finish. Absolutely delicious Chardonnay that I could drink all Spring and Summer. This will age well. Best over the next 2-4 years.

2018 vintage

Drink up now, in a good place now, soft edges, tropical fruit, toasty caramel.

2018 vintage

A crowd favorite (although one of our gang thought there was too much oak, I would disagree with that). Bright floral nose and a crisp rich mouthfeel. In a good place.

2018 vintage

This has definitely evolved favorably from my Jan 2021 note. Harsher edges have mellowed out allowing the fruit to shine through. This is sunshine in a glass for me!

2018 vintage

Always reliable opener for a seafood dinner. Light and yet rich, not overoaked, slightly sweet, a bit of honeysuckle. PNP

2018 vintage

Such a nice RR chard. Tropical notes, lemon and fresh acidity blended perfectly with oak. Love Dehlinger wines!

2018 vintage

Very nice…fresh and flavorful

2018 vintage

Peach, melon and citrus notes. I love the salt accent. Understated though it has plenty of body.

2016 vintage

This is a chardonnay that tests tastes. I read that Galloni rated it 94. My rating of 91 is reflective that I think it is overblown and lacks the complexity to rate higher, trying to be objective while pointing what I think is missing or 'too much'. I like it but not for the price. The wine is in balance albeit with significant oak and ripeness, butterscotch and tropical flavors. My ideal chardonnay emulates better white burgundies, Puligny Montrachet the …

2018 vintage

Sampled over a three-hour period from a bottle that was uncorked and poured, this light golden Chardonnay proved to be a winner. On the nose, it is immediately effusive of lemon meringue, white peaches, crushed rocks, dried herbs and spicy oak. Medium-bodied and with beautiful freshness, it delivers flavors mirroring the nose and stays solid on the mid-palate. The wine's alcohol (14.2%) and wood are nicely integrated. Concluding with a crisp, lengthy, mineral-laden finish, this is a top echelon Russian …

2018 vintage

Delicous

2016 vintage

This is one of my favorite vintages from this winery. Juicy, round, hints of peach and a rather noticeable vanilla. Round, supple mouth feel. Golden, honey color. More California than Burgundy with some oak showing. Will look forward to the evolution from here. 94 Wish I had more.

2016 vintage

I’ve had many Dehlinger Pinots but this was my first Chardonnay.....what a pleasant surprise...fresh and vibrant with great flavor

2018 vintage

This wine is still drinking very nicely. We mostly drink red wine but this is a white for red wine drinkers.

2016 vintage

Sharp lemon-lime with hints of pineapple. This is still quite young and needs more time. Very expressive as it warmed up, plenty of baby fat that needs to mellow, but still enjoyable and holds a lot of promise. Could rate higher as it develops.

2018 vintage

Fresh and youthful - tight and taut now - don't serve too ice cold because that accentuates the acidity and sharpness. Nice pear and tangerine (as someone else rightly says), almost a hint of kerosene / white pepper and bracing minerality. Nice.

2018 vintage

Decanted and let it cool slightly from the fridge. Lovely pale golden colour. Seville oranges and persimmon on the nose. A thirst quenching full-bodied texture on the palate but no heaviness. Not a huge amount of depth or complexity but a pleasant pineapple streak and long finish of orange blossom. 2015 is a lot more interesting.

2016 vintage

Surprisingly good for 14 yrs. smooth, fresh, mildly oaked. Confirmed with second bottle.

2006 vintage

Dehlinger's 2016 Chardonnay is a medium-golden, barrel-fermented and lees-aged wine. Taken fully through malolactic fermentation and bottled unfiltered, it is a medium-bodied white that delivers aromas and flavors of baked apple pie, pear, nutmeg, vanilla and buttery oak. With low-to-medium acidity and nicely integrated alcohol (listed as 14.7%), it stays solid on the mid-palate and finishes with medium length. This is a quality Chardonnay but, for my palate, it would have been better with a bit less oak and something …

2016 vintage

Gold in color. 14.7% ABV. Gorgeous nose of tropical fruits, pear, apple and minerals. Medium body with ample acidity. Rich and oily. Lemon oil, vanilla creme brulee, pineapple and spice on the palate. Medium length on the finish. Really good but not as compelling as it was just a couple years ago. Drink over the next year or so.

2011 vintage

Flawed

2011 vintage

Rich, full bodied Chard with vanilla and creme brulee notes up front followed by a fully rounded mouthfeel with notes of apple and lemon curd on the finish. A wonderful pairing with Dungeness Crab.

2016 vintage

Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 8 *shared* bottles] from 10/18/19 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA) : “From 8 acres of estate vyds planted to the Wente clone in goldridge series soils from 1975-1988; The grapes are picked @ night, brought cold into the winery & ‘whole cluster pressed’ to extract the highest quality juice. From there the juice is fermented in FR oak barrels using native yeasts. The wine gains further complexity through malolactic fermentation & a yr …

2016 vintage

Loads of tropical fruit and plenty of snap with nice acidity on the finish.

2016 vintage

Been in an ABC phase for a while now so it was surprising how much we liked this. My experience with Dehlinger Chards is that they were bigger and sometimes a tad hot. I bought this based on Antonio Galloni's glowing review (a 94) which said it was ready to drink now. And that it is. This is very refined and elegant and much lighter in color than past Vintages. Light toasty vanilla and butterscotch combine for a taste treat. …

2016 vintage

One of the favorites of the evening, a little wild, excellently made. Drinking well now but will keep and even improve for a number of years.

2016 vintage

Bright gold in color. 14.7% ABV. Splendid nose of tropical fruits, lemon oil and pears. Medium body with medium acidity. Rich and oily with a great viscosity I don�t normally associate with Dehlinger. Meyer Lemon, honeysuckle and toast on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long and plush. Stunning wine and maybe the best Chardonnay I have ever had from Dehlinger. Drink over the next 2-3 years.

2011 vintage

Beautiful gold-honey color that hinted at the wine's richness of both flavor and weight. Still going strong 9 years in.

2008 vintage

This wine has definitely come out of it's cocoon and spread its wings. Really beautiful stuff, the nose has citrus effervescent (orange and lemon intertwined) with some floral and wet stone. The palate was perfectly balanced with the acid as the back bone of the wine. This chard had it all, slight creamy but notes of minerality, lemon and hay. This paired perfectly with a lobster ravioli in a cream sauce. It took a lot of will power to not …

2011 vintage

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Dehlinger, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley

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