Yesterday I had a chance to enjoy a vertical of the DeLille Cellars D2. DeLille Cellars is one of my favorite Washington producers. Their wines display the classic styles of Bordeaux, the Rhone and Provence. The D2 is a Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet blend that is produced each year from Delille and typically scores in the low 90s from the major wine publications. The quality of this wine is always there, year after year. I noticed a great deal of vintage variation. 2009 was a very ripe vintage in Washington, and along with 2012, they both represented nearly perfect growing conditions. 2010 was a colder vintage, while 2011 was one of the coldest vintages in the history of Washington winemaking. While many major wine publications downgraded 2011 initially, Wine Spectator has recently upgraded the 2011 vintage, classifying it as an 89 point vintage (2009 92pt, 2010 91 pt and 2012 95 pt). So based on the Wine Spectator ratings, there should be not a ton of vintage variation between 2009, 2010 and 2011. I was impressed of the quality of winemaking that Delille produced for the 2011 vintage. The 2011 D2 was a great expression of terroir and restrained fruit, as the wine drank like a great Bordeaux.
Look for these wines at online wine shops such as KL wines or JJ Buckley. You can also pick these wines up at great Northwest area wine shops for about 40 bucks. The D2 is worth a splurge!
2009 D2-A blend of 55% Merlot, 34% Cabernet, 9% Cab Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. Rich and concentrated nose of black cherry, black olive and oak. Palate is viscous and rich. Blackberry, creme de cassis, black cherry and anise. Delicious, powerful and complex. Drink now. -93
2010 D2- A blend of 55% Merlot, 34% Cabernet, 9% Cab Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. Tight knit wine even with an hour or more of decanting and aeration. This is a very dense wine after more than three hours. Nose of Provencale herbs, cassis and oak. Palate has black olive, red cherry and raspberry. More Bordelaise and restrained than the '09. Can benefit from 1-2 more years of cellaring. -92
2011 D2- A blend of 56% Merlot, 35% Cabernet, 7% Cab Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. Muted nose with forest floor, oak and faint black fruits. Palate has a Bordelaise feel with red fruits connecting well with the acid structure. Surprisingly open after a two plus hour decant and aeration. Needs two plus years of cellaring still. Mushroom, red currant, red cherry, and fine grained tannins like a great Pomerol. This is drinking very impressively at the moment. But sit on it for another two plus years. -93
2012 D2- A blend of 50% Merlot, 42% Cabernet, 6% Cab Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. Herbaceous nose with cassis, cedar and plum. Palate has black cherry, boysenberry, graphite and stinking acidity. Still shut down after a two hour decant and aeration. Very Bordelaise. This is a very long ager. Don't touch for at least two years. -93