Dehlinger “Goldridge Vineyard” Pinot Noir 1998

I am not sure that reviewing this wine is of any use, other than possibly demonstrating that I am a pompous ass. It is almost impossible to find any of it, and I bought it from the mailing list when it was released. But, damn it was good!

I’ll give you the downside first. The wine lost a lot after being open for less than one hour. The upside is that we were just about finished with it by then. If I had to use one word to describe this wine, it would be “elegant.” It wasn’t particularly powerful, but everything came together in a gentle, seamless way. It had a lovely nose, without any astringency or blast of alcohol. It also had plenty of fruit, which surprised me, although it was tough to identify any particular flavor. But it was also a substantial wine, with plenty of thickness and texture. I realize that I am using phrases that may seem contradictory, but I am having a tough time describing the wine. Everything worked well, so nothing stood out. What pleased me most of all was the absence of a certain “bright cherry” flavor that I find to be boring, and which is common in too many California pinot noirs.

If you can find some, and feel like spending a fair bit of money, give it a shot. But make sure that your bottle was stored correctly. I don’t think that this wine would survive to this age without impeccable storage conditions.

2 Replies to “Dehlinger “Goldridge Vineyard” Pinot Noir 1998”

  1. you drank this without me? i would have been happy to pile on my own pompous-ass comments. if you can, try to resist the new hibatchi/whatever that moved into ridgewood, maybe give them some time, 6-12 months, then they will be gone!

  2. I have no pride when it comes to good wine. I will drink it whenever it is available!We tried their sushi. Not bad, but certanly nothing to get excited about. I have always been suspicious of combination restaurants. Sushi and hibatchi stuff, or barbecue and seafood. It just doesn’t work.

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