SHOP / 2016 Chaleur Estate Red Blend
Varietal
63% Cabernet Sauvignon
24% Merlot
10% Cabernet Franc
3% Petit Verdot
Appellation
Red Mountain AVA
Aging
Drink Now or Age 20+ Years
Vineyard
Ciel du Cheval
Klipsun
Upchurch
2016 Chaleur Estate Red Blend
Red Mountain AVA
Youthful and tightly wound, the 2016 Chaleur Estate gradually reveals aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate truffle and baking spices. The Red Mountain origins of this wine are reflected on the nose with lavender, cassis and dried earth. Firmly structured throughout, showing flavors of tapenade with blue and black berries, this vintage promises to age well in the cellar. Deep flavors of black currant and plum spread throughout a concentrated mid-palate, gracefully integrated into a persistent finish.
95+ Points
— Jeb Dunnuck
95+ Points
The flagship and made in decent quantities, the 2016 Chaleur Estate is a brilliant wine that unquestionably stands up with the top Bordeaux blends in the world. Based on 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot that was brought up all in new French oak, it reveals a deep purple color as well as powerful notes of black fruits, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and scorched earth. Deep, full-bodied, and beautifully layered, with subtle background oak and building structure, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for two decades.
April 2019
Additional Scores:
95
Owen Bargreen
94+
Vinous
94
Wine Enthusiast
Behind the Wine
2016 Chaleur Estate Red Blend
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.
Vineyards
Ciel du Cheval is one of Washington’s most prestigious vineyards. The 1982 planting of Cabernet Sauvignon at this famed Red Mountain site is the backbone of Chaleur Estate.
Winemaking
Cold-soaked for 24-36 hours, fermented for 14-16 days on skin, aged 20 months in 100% French oak (100% new), and aged in bottle 8 months prior to release.