Brightening the Winter With Syrah

During the foggy, wet months of our Northern Califor-nia winter, little pleasures keep the spirits high. The or-ange of persimmons ripening in early winter, the singing of robins chirping through the rain, the glow of a warm fireplace—these all make the short days brighter. A glass of Syrah is another cause for cheer in this coldest of sea-sons—its rich character and structured nature were made to complement the winter fare of pot roasts, leg of lamb, cheese courses, and other comfort foods. It also warms the soul after a brisk walk through the vineyard on a cool, misty day.

The Russian River Valley’s climate is prime for grow-ing Syrah. In our coastally-influenced location, Syrah re-ceives enough heat to ripen, but the cool morning fog helps the grape retain the personality and flavor needed for a wine of intrigue: pepper, tapenade and even bacon are classic descriptors for our Syrahs. The Syrah you don’t open this winter will do well the next, as the wine contin-ues to blossom with time. When young, it offers plenty of interest with its floral and spicy character, while with age it develops into a complex beverage for contemplation and reflection.

And Syrah has fans in all places: Earlier this year, we were honored to receive Daniel Shanks, of the White House’s Usher’s Office, for a visit at Dehlinger. Daniel, who selects wine for banquets at the White House, presented us with menus where Dehlinger’s Syrah had been featured at a State Dinner. We’re proud to know that they are considered exemplary American wines.

We have two Syrahs available this offering. One is grown in Goldridge soil, and the second is sourced from George Martinelli’s Zio Tony ranch down the road from our winery, bottled under our Frei Road designation. The Goldridge has a softer mouthfeel and a more polished texture. The Frei Road has a memorable structure and density. Taken together, these wines mark two points on the spectrum of Russian River Valley Syrahs—and both are sure to brighten many winters (or even summers) to come.

With the start of a new year, we look back at the past season at Dehlinger and forward to the next. The 2015 vintage began in mid-August and gave light yields. This easy-to-manage harvest allowed individual care to all lots of wine. As the new year begins, many of the young wines are finishing their malolactic fermentation, and the personality of the 2015 vintage is starting to emerge: flavorful, concentrated, with bright acidity. Meanwhile, with the start of pruning in the vineyard, we take the first steps to ensuring a successful 2016.

DEHLINGER WINERYWinter 2016 neWsletter

Tom and Eva Dehlinger:Every bottling is the product of thought and care.

Drum roll PleaSe...

Our family is growing. Carmen gave birth to a son, Joaquin Thomas Navarro on December 3, 2015. Please join us in spirit by raising a glass to our youngest family member!

There is another new name to share: Champ de Mars, a specific section of our Estate Vineyard from which we are releasing a new special bottling. This hilly block of land rising east behind the wall of the winery parking area is familiar to many of you who have visited the win-

ery. These eight acres are planted entirely to Pinot noir. This area is dominated by some very red Altamont soil but has several atypical streaks of white sand, marbled together with yellow and tan Goldridge soil. Aerial ob-servation of the deep ploughed soil during our first re-plant in 2009 called to mind the surface of Earth’s neigh-boring red planet.

From our “Field of Mars” we have taken the most dist-ictive lots of wine, mostly older vines but with a touch of the new, and crafted a very complex and spice-dominat-ed blend of which we are especially proud.

reaDy for el niño

At Dehlinger, we’ve worked to prepare the land for El Niño. The El Niño weather phenomenon—in which a band of warm water develops in the Pacific Ocean—alters weather patterns globally and can bring wet winters to Califor-nia. While El Niño is welcome after two winters with little rain, its intense storms raise the risk of erosion due to the impact of falling rain drops, which can loosen and wash away exposed land.

The sandy Goldridge soil is particularly vulnerable if not managed properly, as it is soft with little binding clay. To prevent erosion, we begin preparing for winter storms in the fall, on the days when no fruit is being harvested. The most critical task in preventing soil loss is to sow cover crops on loose earth between the vineyard rows.

Last year we selected a mix of peas, vetch, barley, and oats to perform the task of soil stabilization. After the seeds are sown, the cover crop is irrigated once overnight while the ground still retains its fall warmth. Some people might critique this use of water, but nurturing early growth of the cover crops helps the annual plants to form good top and root growth early, before the winter’s cold prevents establishment. The top growth slows and absorbs falling rain, and the roots create channels to aid in water penetration. More rainwater can then percolate into the earth, raising the water table, which eliminates the need for irrigation of the vines themselves during the growing season.

During a heavy winter tempest, the clarity of the runoff is an important indicator. Clear water coming down the hillsides is the metric of success. Not only does clear water mean clear streambeds, which is good for the na-tive fish, but it also means the soil is staying in the vineyard—right where it should be for growing great wine.

The Champ de Mars at Dehlinger, following deep plowing in 2009.

Current releases

To place your order online, go to order.dehlingerwinery.com

2013 eState CharDonnay

Growing this thin-skinned and sensitive variety for quality is a labor of love. It requires great fo-cus in the vineyard to produce ripe and flavorful grapes, as the removal of leaves around the clus-ters must optimize sunlight exposure and air flow.Our efforts in the 2013 vintage have paid off, as the 2013 Estate Chardonnay captures the essence of this golden variety with its aromatics of lime, lemon, hon-eysuckle and pear. The foil to this wine’s mouth-watering freshness is the richness lent by a year of sur-lie aging in the barrel. The Estate Chardonnay is bottled unfiltered to preserve flavor and texture.

1650 cases produced The price is $40 per bottle

2012 frei roaD Syrah

The Frei Road Syrah is sourced from a two acre vine-yard block on George Martinelli’s Zio Tony vineyard about one mile from our winery, and is grown on very dry and hilly Altamont soil. The charm of the Frei Road Syrah is its rustic boldness, complemented by an inky color and nose of maraschino cherry. Muscu-lar and beefy, this wine is a reward for the hedonists.

615 cases producedThe price is $45 per bottle

2013 golDriDge Syrah

Syrahs grown in Goldridge soils are notable for their aromatic projection and nuance: notes of anise, black olives, white pepper, rosemary and lavender are all present here. In the mouth, this soft, supple, and unc-tuous effort satisfies deeply. An approachable Syrah whose seamless texture is all about finesse and style.

450 cases producedThe price is $45 per bottle

2013 altamont Pinot noir

We were honored to receive a trifecta of recognition from the Wine Spectator for our 2013 Altamont Pi-not noir: a 95 point score; a presentation of the wine during the Pinot noir panel at the October 2015 New York Wine Experience; and its inclusion in the Specta-tor’s Top 100 wines of the year (#19)—the only Russian River Valley Pinot included on the list. After months of buildup and buzz, we are pleased to now release the Altamont to you, our mailing list customers, before all others. This wine, from the hill tops of our Estate Vineyard, demonstrates classic characteristics for a wine grown in red Altamont soil: a lifted character in the nose, featuring spice and rose-petal notes. The mouth is high impact without being heavy or cloying—em-phasizing baked plum and fruits initially, with savory elements of forest floor and cedar towards the finish.

880 cases produced The price is $60 per bottle

2013 ChamP De marS Pinot noir

This first eponymous release from the Champ de Mars portion of our vineyard is an intergeneration-al effort: The core of the wine derives from the orig-inal 1975 Pinot noir planting, which lends the wine striking depth and complexity. A touch of young vine wine was included, giving the wine another di-mension of structure and density. This most celestial of our special bottlings is luscious, round, and ripe.

295 cases produced The price is $65 per bottle

liBrary WineS

A selection of Library wines will be available on our online ordering website on January 19th in limited quantities, and on a first-come-first served basis. Act quickly, as they typically sell out within a day or two.

Dehlinger Winter 2016 neWsletter

Key Dates

Online ordering site opens: January 19th, 9am Pacific Time

Deadline for placing order:February 5th, 6pm Pacific Time

Shipment of wines ordered: Late February to mid-April

Optional wine pick-up at the winery:April 11th - 17th (Monday - Sunday)

Spring Open House at the winery: April 15th - 17th (Friday - Sunday)

11am - 4pm