January marks the start of a new year (happy 2023!) and the release of four of our most acclaimed wines: Minuit, Four Flags, Chaleur Estate, and Harrison Hill. We are excited to share the newest 2020 vintage of these wines with you and hope you will celebrate along with us, either at home, tasting at our Woodinville tasting room, or paired with dinner at The Lounge restaurant next door.
Just as our four founders believed that all good blends transcend the sum of their parts, these wines express the art of blending and showcase Columbia Valley as a premier growing region. Read on to explore what makes these blends so unique.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
DeLille Cellars’ inaugural wine, Chaleur Estate marks the foundation on which the winery has built its craft of blending Washington State fruit in the traditional style. This wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend of Bordeaux varietals, with a focus on Red Mountain vineyards. The result is a wine of depth, complexity, focus and elegance that personifies the French word for warmth, chaleur.
Tasting Notes
The 1982 Cabernet Sauvignon vines from Ciel du Cheval are once again the soul of this wine and responsible for its incredible richness. Marionberry, green peppercorn, fresh truffle and pomegranate seed are muddled with baking spices and warm oak undertones. Dubrul Vineyard Merlot (23%) provides fresh blueberry and Maraschino cherry notes while rounding out the mid-palate to create a seamless transition to a dense, pondering finish. With plenty of time to open up, there is everything to love about this effort. Cellaring 12+ years will help tame the tannins and bring along even more complexity. – N.B
Pairing Suggestions
Hearty mushroom-based dishes, earthy risottos and rich pastas and lamb pair particularly well with Chaleur Estate.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
A Bordeaux-style blend from a small, historic vineyard on Snipes Mountain, this wine is labeled after the vineyard’s namesake – Harrison Hill. Over the past five decades, the state’s second-oldest Cabernet vines have matured gracefully while producing progressively limited yields. This slow, elegant maturation is a compelling expression of what it means to be a terroir-driven wine.
Tasting Notes
The inconspicuous five acres that is Harrison Hill Vineyard shows its brilliance once again. The wine, just after six months in bottle, has so much to express in its early life and is our best example of a terroir-driven cuvée. Cigar box, cranberry, black currant and fresh truffle explode effortlessly from the glass. The great restraint, herbal nuance and pronounced silky structure leads to comparisons of the old-world and thoughts of the 60-year-old vines that provide so much elegance. This charmer can be cellared patiently for 20 years easily. – N.B.
Pairing Suggestion
Harrison Hill is a wine that will age beautifully and can be enjoyed with a plethora of selections over time. Consider pairing with grilled or roasted lamb, roasted beef or venison. Earthy vegetables such as Brussel sprouts, parsnips, squash, mushrooms and dark greens pair particularly well. For older vintages, pairings with game birds such as duck and pheasant or lighter stews are recommended.
Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon
Minuit was crafted via countless trial iterations of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon at the blending table, seeking unity and balance. Meaning “midnight,” it is the time of day that delineates one day from the next, at once the beginning of something new and the end of a defined and fundamental cycle. This wine, black as night, embodies this notion: the conclusion of our journey in the vineyard and cellar, and the beginning of discovering the wine’s potential in the bottle and in the glass.
Tasting Notes
The union of Malbec (72%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (28%) prove their compatibility once again in our 2020 Minuit, offering aromas of blueberry compote, green peppercorn, fennel seed, and wild blackberry. The Malbec adds juicy, brambly fruits and a fleshy texture that begs for the well-structured Red Mountain Cabernet, which in turn adds a touch of sanguine and tobacco leaf. The palate shows great concentration and weight, with the vibrant dark fruits elevating the wine and bringing energy to the finish. Best enjoyed with your favorite meats from the grill. – N.B.
Pairing Suggestions
We recommend pairing Minuit with nutty cheese with oily fats. Tannin levels are higher in this wine (opposed to a light-bodied red wine) and spectacular food pairings include beef short ribs and earthy veggies such as potatoes, carrots and beets.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Four Flags is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon blended from four prestigious Red Mountain vineyards. Originally made for our Wine Club as a blending trial of specific plots, this wine showcases the nuances of each vineyard in a seamless blend. Four Flags is a harmonious & complex representation of the incomparable terroir of Red Mountain & a tribute to the winery’s steadfast commitment to this respected viticultural area.
Tasting Notes
The 2020 Four Flags is another great example of the elegant power Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon can display and the consistent allure created when blending these four prestigious vineyards together. The wine slowly unwinds with aromas of black cherry, cassis, sandalwood and olive tapenade. The palate offers hints of fresh ground coffee, cacao nibs, and red currant, which are all supported by silky, yet generous tannins. Great concentration and balance of fruit and savory components suggest this wine will cellar for many years and benefit in its youth with a hefty decant.
Pairing Suggestions
We recommend pairing Four Flags with beef short ribs, venison cheeks, lamb shanks, burgers, or earthy vegetables. Tannin levels are high in this Cabernet Sauvignon, a trait typical of Red Mountain wine, pairing particularly well with nutty cheeses and oily fats.
Taste the new vintage of four of our most prestigious wines in our Winter Release Bundle. Minuit, Four Flags, Chaleur Estate and Harrison Hill are traditional Bordeaux-style wines that reflect the unique terroir of Washington State. Just as our four founders believed that all good blends transcend the sum of their parts, these wines express the art of blending and showcase Columbia Valley as a premier growing region.
