DeLille Cellars D2 Vertical Tasting
It had been roughly six months since I had the chance to sit across from DeLille Cellars Director of Winemaking, Jason Gorski. On this festive occasion we had decided to taste vintages 2009-2019 of his ‘D2’ Red Wine — a wine that has gained considerable national attention since it was first made back in 1992. Jason offered some of his thoughts, noting “I think this is really cool to line this [tasting] up. For the 2009 vintage, I started at DeLille in March, when the wine was already blended - but fined the wine and got it ready for bottle. For the 2010, I was there for the blending process and bottling, and then for 2011 I was able to see the vintage from grape to bottle. You can see on the bottles how the label color changed from silver to gold, and on the last bottle the label has changed with a larger D2 on the label. This progression speaks to how the brand and cuvee have grown, and that the chateau is not really related to what we are doing now that we have moved to the Old Redhook Brewery location in Woodinville.
He continued “Since I came on board after blending, the '09 was already blended, and the 2010 vintage was the first opportunity for me to be involved with the blending process, which really allowed me my first chance to begin to understand how the wine comes together. 2012 was the first significant increase in production of this wine. We started buying grapes specifically for D2 and I started pushing with the founders to no longer describe D2 as a second, declassified, wine. This was now a wine with purpose.”
He continued “We want the Merlot to be 57% or higher, or the Cab can really take over the blend. Some of the individual Merlots are big and bold on their own, but it is more about the red fruits that we want to get and the approachable, oak-kissed element. We are hoping to see how the oak has changed in this vertical tasting as we have backed off from oak a bit to allow for the fruit to speak more for itself. It is now 50-60% new and the 2009 from this tasting was closer to 100%.”
A Good Performance in Cooler Years
One thing I have noticed about top Washington producers is their 2010 and 2011 wines are performing well still in the glass. I’ve had several bottles of 2010 red wines that have lost their luster, fruit and acidity. Both DeLille D2s from 2010 and 2011 still showed lush fruit and are absolutely peaking but can be consumed over the next few years.
Warm Vintage Wines Stellar
Warm efforts from 2013, 2014 and 2016 all shone with more tar and scorched earth tones in 2013 and brighter acidity in 2014 and 2016. All three wines are drinking marvelously right now and can go for another decade. The 2013 is particularly plump and decadent right now, so why wait? Jason Gorski was surprised how well his 2013 turned out but I was not at all surprised, considering the beautiful 2013 red wines from Washington that I have tasted over the past year. This is an overlooked vintage, much akin to 2001 Bordeaux which followed a near perfect growing season. Don’t sleep on these 2013 wines.
Promise In New Wines
The 2019 D2 (OB, 91) still needs a bit of time to fully come together. It shows less depth and concentration than 2017 and 2018 bottling but is a stellar effort from this cooler vintage. I am downright enamored where the 2018 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ (OB, 93) is drinking right now. This beautiful wine has another twelve to fifteen years in front of it. Learn more about these great wines at delillecellars.com and here are my tasting notes from the vertical of 2009-2019 D2 Red Wine.
2009 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine- DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine- This 2009 ’D2’ blends 55% Merlot with 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Nutty undertones combine with macerated red cherry and tobacco leaf on the nose. The palate is very fresh and lithe with a polished texture and a light dusting of salinity. This reveals plenty of mouth-watering acidity with pretty red fruits. Considering the warmth of the vintage this has aged really well, as this has at least another five years to go. Drink 2021-2027- 92
2010 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine-The 2010 ‘D2’ is a beautiful blend that exactly mirrors the 2009 version with 55% Merlot with 34% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Herbal undertones dominate the nose with fresh sage and thyme tones alongside black raspberry compote. The mouthfeel is soft and approachable with medium-bodied red cherry and red raspberry flavors alongside copious herbs and firm tannins on the palate. This is best consumed over the next few years. Drink 2021-2024- 90
2011 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine- A blend of 56% Merlot with the remainder 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and small parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this is the first vintage utilizing Upchurch Vineyard fruit in this wine. The sense of balance here is really good with pretty red fruits that combine with salty loam soils, wild mushroom and sagebrush tones on the palate. Firm tannins hold things brilliantly in place. While great to consume now, this easily has another five years to go. Drink 2021-2028- 91
2012 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine- The 2012 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ blends 50% Merlot with 42% Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This is the first vintage utilizing Discovery Vineyard fruit. Ripe red cherry notes alongside underbrush and scorched earthy tones all fill the nose. There are many moving pieces aromatically. This is very seamless upon entry, finishing very long. The fruit quality here is considerably more pretty than the 2009-2011 wines, as this is extremely stable wine that has at least another decade to go. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2013 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine- The 2013 ‘D2’ Red Wine is a compelling blend of 57% Merlot with 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This shows considerably more non-fruit aromas with tar and tobacco leaf, as well as mocha tones that combine with rich dark fruit tones. Dense and heady with good viscosity and tension, this dark-fruit driven wine is showing beautifully right now and has another decade of life in front of it. This is the most hedonistic of the tasting from 2009-2013. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2014 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine-The 2014 blends 58% Merlot with 36% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This shows a gorgeous bouquet with dried herbs alongside tar, blackberry compote and shades of espresso bean. The palate is fresh and viscous with a good combination of black fruits and herbal undertones with freshly tilled soils and dark chocolate shavings. Finishing long, this is very youthful now and has at least another decade to go in the cellar. Drink 2021-2033- 93
2015 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine- A blend of 58% Merlot with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon with 6% Cabernet Franc and a splash of Petit Verdot. This was the last vintage they utilized Stillwater Creek Merlot. This is a touch leaner and more linear than vintages 2012-14. Herbal undertones combine with bright Bing cherry, salty soils and shades of scorched earth on the palate. Enjoy over the next five years. Drink 2021-2026- 91
2016 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine- This 2016 vintage utilizes 59% Merlot with 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and small parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This shows heady aromatics of espresso bean, tilled soils and black currants that all take shape in the glass. The palate is plush with a soft mouthfeel and great feeling of length. Very black fruit driven, shades of creosote and coffee grounds with sagebrush all come together seamlessly with velvety tannins holding things in place. Gorgeous to consume now, this is really nicely balance stuff that has at least another twelve years in front of it. Drink 2021-2033- 93
2017 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine- Really good already, the 2017 ‘D2’ red wine shows the highest percentage of Merlot that they have done to this point (66%). The nose shows very pretty high tones from the Merlot with red florals with cocoa powder and bright red fruits. The palate shows similarly to the nose with similar notes alongside brisk acidity and a soft mouthfeel with lighter refined tannins. The earthy components work well, as this beautiful wine still has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2021-2033- 92
2018 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine- The highest percentage of Merlot in this tasting (67%), the 2018 ‘D2’ is showing beautifully now at the three year mark. This is gorgeous wine even to consume right now with its gorgeous core of dark fruits with bitter chocolate and espresso grounds notes. Herbal undertones add to the enjoyment, as this shows beautiful length, verve and weight. This will easily cellar for twelve years. Drink 2021-2033- 93
2019 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine-The 2019 ‘D2’ is a blend of 60% Merlot with smaller portions Cabernet Sauvignon (34%), Cabernet Franc (4%) and Petit Verdot (2%). Sagebrush with milk chocolate and wild blackberry tones all fill the nose. This is done in the fresher style with medium-bodied red currant and red cherry flavors alongside tobacco leaf, and leather on the palate.The sense of balance here is really good. Enjoy this beautiful wine over the next decade. Drink 2021-2031-91
