It is always a pleasure tasting wines with superstar winemaker, Jason Gorski of DeLille Cellars. DeLille is one of the longstanding Woodinville wineries that rose to prominence under eminent winemaker Chris Upchurch. DeLille Cellars was the first winery in Washington to focus on creating Bordeaux style wine blends. DeLille owns a 20 acre vineyard in Red Mountain and also sources from some of the top sites in the Yakima Valley. DeLille Cellars currently produces six Bordeaux-styled wines including Grand Ciel, Chaleur Estate Rouge, D2, Harrison Hill, Four Flags and Chaleur Estate Blanc. This winery has expanded production in recent years, but quality has remained exceptional.
Jason talked about the past few vintages in Washington and showed off his 2016 Rose (WWB, barrel sample 90-93), which has not yet been released. HIs new release wines were absolutely stunning. Another great white wine release, the 2015 DeLille Rousssanne (WWB, 93) showed wonderful poise and weight, as the wine speaks to the vintage. The 2014 DeLille 'Quintessence Vineyard' Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 95) is comprised of 68% Malbec and the rest Cabernet. This is an insanely good and dense treat that will cellar beautifully for decades. The DeLille lineup was spectacular top to bottom, as Jason is really one off the best young winemakers in the state, as you can taste the attention to detail in the glass. He has done a fantastic job with the hot, 2014 vintage. Learn more about DeLille and their great wines at www.delillecellars.com Here are the great new release wines from DeLille.
Aweomse new red wine lineup from DeLille Cellars
2016 DeLille Rose (barrel sample)- 90-93
2015 DeLille 'Harrison Hill' Cabernet (barrel sample)- 94-97
2015 DeLille Roussanne- This excellent Roussanne wine begins with aromatics of beeswax, brioche, honeydew and hints of macadamia nut. There are rich flavors of cashew nut, green papaya, Meyer lemon rind and a long, creamy finish. This is truly one of the best of it's kind in the state. The mouthfeel and texture is gorgeous. Drink 2017-2023- 93
2014 DeLille 'Metier' Red Wine- This is a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre and 18% Syrah with 2% Cinsault. The wine begins with aromatics of rose petals, red cherry, Umami, red raspberry and smoked meats. There are flavors of white pepper, marionberry pie, blackberry jam, orange rind and hints of wet stone. This has a rich mouthfeel and a wonderfully dense texture as this wine shows wonderful layers. This is exceedingly hard to resist. Drink 2017-2025-92
2014 DeLille 'Doyenne' Red Wine- This a blend of half Cabernet and half Syrah which was sourced from the Yakima Valley. This wine begins with aromatics of black cherry cough syrup, red cherry, sagebrush, anise and hints of dried herbs. There are flavors of red cherry, blackberry preserves, milk chocolate and hints of sagebrush. This is juicy, poised and delicious wine. Drink 2017-2025- 93
2014 DeLille Cellars 'Signature' Syrah- This wine was co-fermented with 2% Viognier and shows wonderful drinkability at this juncture. This juicy Syrah wine has aromatics of bacon fat, blackberry preserves, black cherry and mocha accents with sagebrush. These are just intense and wonderful aromatics that bring you back to the glass for more. There are rich flavors of black cherry, anise, blackberry pie and mocha accents. This is dense and has marvelous structure. Drink 2017-2026- 93
2014 DeLille Merlot-This awesome Merlot wine was sourced from the Klipsun, DuBrul, Red Willow and Upchurch vineyards. This gorgeous new release Merlot begins with black cherry, black raspberry, black tea, coffee grounds and suggestions of graphite. There are rich flavors of black cherry, cassis, anise, Turkish coffee and suggestions of red bell pepper. The poise, intensity and elegance is really wonderful. To some this might pass for a hot vintage right bank Bordeaux. Try to give this another year in the bottle for everything to settle. Drink 2018-2030- 94
2014 DeLille Cellars 'D2' Red Wine- This excellent wine is a blend 45 different blocks of Merlot and Cabernet with a touch of Cabernet Franc. I can imagine that to be an extremely laborious blending process. The wine was aged for 20 months in French oak prior to bottling. This begins with aromas of red cherry, red raspberry, sagebrush, with baking spices. There are rich flavors of red cherry, blackberry pie, milk chocolate and graphite. This is dense, chewy, tannic and gorgeous. Drink 2017-2029- 93
2014 DeLille 'Red Willow Vineyard' Malbec- A brooding, dark color coats the glass to this intense and unctuous Malbec wine. This inky colored wine opens with aromatics of dark chocolate, roasted figs, black cherry and black tea. This leads to flavors of black tea, mocha, anise, creme de cassis, black olive and blackberry cobbler. Intense, layered and rich, this needs another year for fruit and aromatic amalgamation. Drink 2018-2030- 95
2014 DeLille 'Quintessence Vineyard' Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon- Made from 68% Malbec with the rest Cabernet, this is one of the most exceptional bottling of its kind that I have sampled in the past few years. The Malbec dominant wine opens with aromas of violets, black cherry, anise, creme de cassis and graphite with milk chocolate. The palate is plush, displaying ripe flavors of black tea, blackberry jam, mocha, anise, creme de cassis and sagebrush. Layered, massive and deep, this is a decadent treat. Try to give this another year for everything to soften and come together. Drink 2018-2030- 95
2014 DeLille 'Shaw Vineyard' Cabernet Sauvignon- This awesome Cabernet wine was barrel selected from Block 2 in the Shaw vineyard, located in the northwest corner. The wine begins with intense aromatics of anise, creme de cassis, mocha, and red bell pepper. There are rich flavors of red cherry, milk chocolate, black tea and anise with a silky mouthfeel. This is plush and smooth Cabernet that has wonderful mid-palate weight. If enjoying in its youth, be sure to give this a long decant. Drink 2017-2030- 94
2014 DeLille 'Four Flags' Cabernet- This gorgeous wine is a blend of 42% Grand Ciel, 31% Upchurch, 19% Ciel du Cheval and 8% Klipsun. The intense and brooding Cabernet wine begins with ripe aromatics of sagebrush, black tea, red bell pepper and mint with milk chocolate. There are rich flavors of black tea, anise, creme de cassis, red bell pepper, sagebrush and coffee grounds. This shows wonderful range, persistence and poise. The wine is drinking beautifully right now but will cellar for 15 plus years. Try to resist this exceptional Cabernet for another year. If enjoying young, give this at least a one hour decant. Drink 2018-2033- 95
2014 DeLille Cellars 'Chaleur Estate' Red Wine-The 2014 ‘Chaleur Estate’ Red Wine is a gorgeous and dense wine that will have an exceedingly long life in the cellar. This excellent red wine begins with aromatics of graphite, anise, creme de cassis, coffee grounds, red bell pepper, and suggestions of baking spices. There are dense flavors of red cherry, mocha, red bell pepper and creme de cassis with a slight salinity. This shows impressive range. This is chewy and massively tannic with an exceedingly long finish. Drink 2018-2033- 94
2015 DeLille Cellars ‘Chaleur Estate’ Blanc- The 2015 ‘Chaleur Estate’ Blanc follows up the past two exceedingly impressive releases of this wine — both of which were featured on my Top 100 wines of North America. This impressive white wine begins with aromatics of hazelnuts, New York apple, cantaloupe and suggestions of wild mushroom. There are flavors reminiscent of marzipan, cashew nut, ripe pear, Meyer lemon zest, brioche and heavy whipping cream. This has wonderful freshness considering the heat of the vintage. The viscosity and texture is gorgeous. Drink 2017-2027- 94