This last Friday we joined DeLille Cellars for another ‘At The Tasting Room’ experience. For those who don’t know, last week they released their 2020 Rosé! I am not one to miss out on a release “party” so I had to get in on the action. Plus they had rose colored glasses for all their guests… How adorable is that!? If you see me rocking those shades around Woodinville, take that as a sign to go visit DeLille Cellars too. 😉 Keep reading to learn more about DeLille Cellars and my experience.
THE STORY
DeLille Cellars, a pioneer of Bordeaux-style blends, is considered a principal influence in establishing Washington as a premier viticultural region with a strong tradition of quality and excellence over its 29-year history. Today, DeLille has a portfolio of over a dozen Bordeaux and Rhone style blends true to the terroir of Washington State.
DeLille Cellars has produced a beautiful video that shares more about their story. You can watch that video here.
PHILOSOPHY
The winery’s passion lies in showcasing the powerful, concentrated and structured fruit of Washington State through the European art of blending – not only through various combinations of Bordeaux and Rhone grape varieties, but also via combining fruit from acclaimed vineyards to express the unique terroir of the region. DeLille Cellars focuses on the Red Mountain AV A and grape sourcing from Washington’s leading Grand Cru vineyards, including Ciel du Cheval, Grand Ciel, Upchurch, Red Willow, Sagemoor, Klipsun, Boushey, DuBrul and Harrison Hill.
ACCLAIM
DeLille Cellars has crafted over 200 wines with successive vintage ratings of 90+, totaling over 700 individual 90+ scores from leading critics. DeLille Cellars holds the coveted position in the ‘Top 100’ Guides of Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast for both red and white wine (D2, Signature Syrah, Chaleur Blanc), as well as being honored as a Wine & Spirits Top 100 Winery (2017-2020) and Wine Enthusiast Wine Star – Top Five American Wineries. DeLille Cellars was one of the first five wineries in Washington State to receive Robert Parker’s 5-star/Outstanding rating.
WINEMAKING
Guiding the winery’s daily operations, Director of Winemaking and Viticulture Jason Gorski has been key to the winery’s growth and continued lineup of accolades since 2011. Founding Winemaker and Partner Chris Upchurch, a luminary in the Washington Wine industry, instilled a passion for traditional winemaking methods that showcase the terroir of the state.
A great way to get familiar with DeLille Cellar’s winemaker, Jason Gorski, is to watch their virtual tasting videos. Over the course of last year, they built out a virtual tasting library where Jason Gorski walks you through his reviews of their current vintages. You can find those tasting videos here. Their virtual tasting videos are highly informative and a lot of fun. They also have virtual tasting wine bundles available for at home experiences.
OUR EXPERIENCE
~ Written by Amber Schmitt, Marketing Director of Woodinville Wine Country
As mentioned above, this last Friday I joined DeLille Cellars for another ‘At The Tasting Room’ experience. For those who don’t know, last week they released their 2020 Rosé! I am not one to miss out on a release “party” so I had to get in on the action.
THE SPACE
DeLille Cellars is located in Woodinville’s Hollywood District. Specifically, they are located in the old Redhook Brewery along with their winery neighbor, Sparkman Cellars. I loosely refer to DeLille Cellars being located “in” the old Redhook location as they have built a gorgeous 3-story tasting room addition to the property. DeLille Cellars occupies 30,000 square feet in this building which leaves plenty of room for separate production and tasting room spaces. The main level is open to the public, featuring a bright lounge with vintage furniture and a gold mural near the wine bar, along with an outdoor patio. Meanwhile, the upper floors are available for wine club members and their guests, including space for pre-reserved events and a rooftop deck with views of Mount Rainier. DeLille’s new tasting room opened in June of 2020, but they did not stop there….
They have officially expanded at the Old Redhook Brewery and are taking over the former Wheelhouse restaurant (originally Redhook’s Forecaster’s Public House), where they’ll be offering some great food and wine, including “by the glass and bottle” experiences. Their Wine Lounge will be opening soon. Stay tuned for more information this summer.
At their tasting room, DeLille Cellars has both indoor and outdoor seating options. Guests can book a reservation for a tasting on their main floor. The second and third floor are available to wine club members – a great wine club perk beyond their exclusive wine options.
Currently DeLille Cellars take reservations via their website. Reservations are required. You can make a reservation online here.
LET’S TALK WINE
Everyone’s favorite part… let’s dive into the wines. The team at DeLille Cellars was so gracious to add a delicious cheese board and truffle popcorn to my tasting experience. Cheese boards are available for purchase and include a variety of cheeses including Drunken Goat, Brie, and Manchego to name a few. I will never pass up the opportunity to enjoy a cheese board with a wine tasting – seriously never.
Not many things get me as excited as a beautifully designed cheese board, but truffle popcorn is a close contender. My mouth was watering just smelling the truffle popcorn in front of me. Although the wine and cheese was tempting, the truffle popcorn was first to be introduced to my palate and it was to die for! Highly recommend you try it for yourself.
2020 Rosé (NEW RELEASE)
Amber’s Notes~ Who doesn’t love rosé? I guess that is why we are all familiar with the saying, “Rosé All Day”. Seriously, I could drink this rosé all day. On the palate flavors of watermelon lead. Great mouthfeel and silky texture mid-palate. This wine has aromas of caramelized orange zest which is not something I would come up with on my own, but it is the perfect description for the nose of this wine.
The 2020 Rosé displays a beautiful light salmon color, with faint orange hues complimenting. On the nose, welcoming aromas of ripe peaches, guava and caramelized orange zest offer added appeal. This new vintage continues our tradition of counterbalancing delicate accessibility with significant refinement. Silky and well balanced on the palate, pomegranate and light watermelon flavors emerge, driving pleasant fruit flavors on the finish.
2018 Doyenne (NEW RELEASE)
Amber’s Notes~ The name of this wine, Doyenne, refers to a woman who is most respected. As we are approaching Mother’s Day, this is the perfect wine to enjoy with your mother and loved ones. This wine is deep dark purple in color, absolutely gorgeous. This is a fruit forward wine with just a hint of spice. Gentle use of oak gives this wine a slight creaminess with well integrated tannins for a long finish.
Traditionally “backward” in its youth, Cabernet Sauvignon (39%) drives the nose on the 2018 Doyenne, with savory rosemary and sage notes, before Syrah (61%) begins to show its influence with blue fruits and hints of vanilla. These two will swap and integrate with time in the bottle. On the palate, this integration is apparent even in the young wine, with blueberry, raspberry, and peppercorn flavors well-supported by Cabernet tannin and light oak toast.
2018 Le Colosse (NEW RELEASE)
Amber’s Notes~ Le Colosse is a new wine for DeLille Cellars. I was especially excited to try something I was not familiar with. All their current tasting room wines are new vintages, but this wine is brand new to their line-up. This wine has a tannic palate with lots of red fruit and notes of cedar and dark chocolate. I took this new wine home with me for a hearty dinner pairing.
Le Colosse is an homage to the unique foundational legacy and contribution Merlot has had on wine growing in Washington State. This inaugural 2018 vintage presents substantial aromas of cherry and ripe plum, with subtle cocoa powder and spearmint adding complexity. Lively and poised, red fruit flavors persist from the onset through a lengthy finish, with dark chocolate adding intrigue. Savory wood tannin and a creamy texture linger on the palate, assuring that additional bottle age will bring dividend.
2018 D2 (NEW RELEASE)
In 1992, the winery pioneered its Chaleur Estate Rouge and D2, both blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The team at DeLille believed that blending Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the traditional style would create wines in which each varietal would contribute its own attributes and would create classically structured wines in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, wines that showcase the purity of fruit that defines Washington State terroir, a “first growth” wine from some of the oldest vines in the state. This belief remains one of the winery’s guiding principles today.
Amber’s Notes~ D2 is a flagship wine for DeLille Cellars. When I think of DeLille, D2 immediately comes to mind. This wine has mid-palate intensity with flavors of mocha and milk chocolate. While it is not exactly your everyday table wine, D2 is very often considered one of mine. It is always a good day when D2 is involved.
Mocha and milk chocolate notes from French oak integrate with beautiful cassis, dried cranberry, and cedar aromas on this 2018 D2. This wine is instantly delicious on the palate with an inviting warm, soft entry. It rapidly builds in intensity of fruit mid-palate, offering remarkable length on the finish, with Red Mountain Cabernet (16% of the blend) apparent in the texture.
2018 Minuit (NEW RELEASE)
Amber’s Notes~ The first thing I noticed was the color of this wine. Very dark in color, almost black. Minuit means “midnight” in French. Perfect description for the color of this wine. This is a full bodied and structured wine. The flavors of this wine presented in a bourbon fashion to me. Great to drink now, but will continue to age beautifully for years to come.
In the lead on this 2018 Minuit, Malbec delivers an extraordinarily dark color and aromas of blackberry, black peppercorn and cocoas, with Cabernet Sauvignon providing intriguing cedar and graphite notes. Classic Malbec fruit purity dominates on the palate, with enticing cracked pepper carried on a long finish supported by Cabernet tannin. With welcome freshness and energy on a moderate to full-bodied structure, this wine should continue to deliver and improve for a decade or more.
2018 Chaleur Estate (NEW RELEASE)
Amber’s Notes~ This wine has an intense nose of sandalwood. I know red wine is not something you bring to the beach, but this wine transported me there. Is it obvious that we all are dreaming of a sun drenched vacation or is that just me? Personally, I would save this wine for a special occasion. The 2018 Chaleur Estate is another wine that is great to drink now but has great cellar potential.
Exotic and alluring in its youth, the 2018 Chaleur Estate presents an intense nose of sandalwood, blueberry and Red Mountain’s signature combination of herbs and sun-drenched soil. Dense and saturated on the palate, intense black currant and lavender are just beginning to peek out from behind a close-knit structure commanded by French Oak barrels. Persistent fruit flavors and fantastic length promise the cellar potential this long-lived cuvee is known for.
Before I wrap this up, I want to mention DeLille Cellars upcoming Mother’s Day specials. They have created Mother’s Day packages featuring their 2018 Doyenne and 2020 Rosé. Doyenne is a tribute to their travels in France, where the term “Doyenne” was used in tribute to the oldest woman in the world at the time, who was 122. As the Syrah grape is the oldest varietal in France, the title of Doyenne is well suited for their blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Doyenne quite literally means a woman who is most respected. How cute is that?! It is the perfect Mother’s Day wine. Each package comes with a gift box, a bottle of wine, and a DeLille Cellars candle. You can learn more about these gift options here.
A special thank you to the team at DeLille Cellars for an extraordinary tasting experience. I am definitely looking forward to the grand opening of their Wine Lounge this summer. See you all very soon!
Last but not least, give them a follow on social media or subscribe to their mailing list by using the links below. See you next week for another “At The Tasting Room” experience.
DeLille Cellars Instagram | DeLille Cellars Facebook | DeLille Cellars Website