The 30th vintage of DeLille Cellars’ D2 arrives on October 18th. This wine’s extensive history, acclaim, and sentiment are what make it so special, along with its one-of-a-kind flavor profile and being a paragon of our winemaking.
Starting from the very beginning, in 1992, DeLille pioneered two wines: Chaleur Estate and D2.
Both these wines are Bordeaux-inspired blends, consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Since DeLille’s inception, our team has been driven by the belief that blending Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in an Old World style would create complex and structured blends that prove the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This belief remains one of DeLille’s guiding principles today.
D2 derives its name from the renowned grand route du vin, also known as the great wine road, which travels through the historic chateau region of Bordeaux. Emphasizing Merlot as its foundation, D2 represents a classic Bordeaux-style concoction meticulously crafted from a selection of more than a dozen prestigious vineyards scattered across the Columbia Valley. This blend aims to capture the quintessential essence of Washington State’s terroir.
D2 has become a staple wine amongst DeLille Cellars’ fanbase, take a read through past memories of D2 drinkers to see the significance of the blend:
“I distinctly remember the first time I experienced D2. The year I met my husband, I was introduced to his annual tradition of dining at the Herb Farm for his birthday. I was introduced to both D2 and DeLille at that meal, as the wine was paired with the main course for that meal. It was by far and away my favorite wine of the evening, and we soon after joined the DeLille wine club family.”
“My now husband and I were dating back in the mid 2000’s when we fell in love with D2. We ordered it on every dinner date, and bought bottles when we could find them. One year, it was really sold out everywhere locally, and we went to Port Townsend for the weekend, wandered into a little wine shop, and found one last lonely bottle. We were so excited! Bought it and enjoyed it for one of our anniversaries after we got married in 2010 – at Delille! We love you guys!”
“In 1993 I read a review of Delille Cellars D2 wine. I could not find any so I drove to the Winery and met Chris Upchurch who sold me my first bottle!! I have followed Delille and Greg ever since and spent many hours and money drinking their fine wines…and my favorite has always been D2!”
In 1993, D2 received its first acclaim, from Harvey Steiman at Wine Spectator. “Ripe and distinguished for its currant, prune and plum flavors, chocolate, coffee and spice overtones–all of which swirl smoothly through the long finish. This Washington red blend has fine tannins now, but better to cellar a while. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2000. 475 cases made.” Steiman rated our 1993 D2 at 92 points, and it is important to acknowledge the case amount of 475, as in 1994 that case number jumped to 1,050, showcasing the rapidly increasing popularity of D2.
From there on, D2 continued to score in the mid-to-high 90 point average, only getting better with each new vintage. 10 years later, Paul Gregutt of Wine Enthusiast said that “The ’03 vintage is a particularly good year for D2. The warm, ripe vintage means that this second wine of DeLille has unusual sweetness and richness across the palate. Toasty and laden with cherry/berry flavors, good weight and concentration, and enough stuffing to hang in there through a long, satisfying finish.”
Jumping forward to the 2013 vintage, Jeb Dunnuck of The Wine Advocate was a firm believer in D2. “Billed as the second wine of the estate, the D2 Proprietary Red Wine is nevertheless a fabulous, outstanding Bordeaux blend that’s brought up all in new French oak. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by solid notes of black currants, lead pencil, damp herbs and licorice, and while it might not have the complexity of the top cuvees, it has beautiful purity. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, with ripe, polished tannin and solid mid-palate depth, drink this beautiful 2013 anytime over the coming two decades.”
10 years later, in 2023 we celebrate DeLille’s 30th vintage of D2, 2021 D2. The significance of this wine speaks for itself, in every Sommelier review and in every single sip, no matter the vintage, D2 has remained an icon in our winemaking and distribution history.
In addition to consistently impressive sommelier reviews, in 2022 2019 D2 was named #30 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the World.
“Polish meets structure in this red, which offers well-defined black cherry, toasty spice and bay leaf accents as this slowly unfurls toward fine-grained tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030.” – Tim Fish, Wine Spectator
2019 D2 also received 94 points from Jeb Dunnuck, and 91 points from James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast.
In 2020, the 2017 vintage of this Bordeaux-style blend ranked #63 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 with 93 points.
“Opens with supple and expressive red currant, green olive and clove flavors, then shifts gears and takes on increasingly muscular yet polished tannins on the long finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2028. 12,600 cases made. — Tim Fish, Wine Spectator
The 2021 D2 shows the promise of the vintage, with deep concentration and outstanding quality. Initial aromas of blackberry, cassis and green peppercorn lead to a palate bursting with beautiful richness and texture. The high-quality, fine-grained tannins of this wine allow approachability in its youth, yet have the firmness and backbone to provide aging for 15+ years. Red currant, Bing Cherry and toasty oak flavors develop with time, leading to a lengthy finish with impressive weight.
The 2021 D2 is comprised of:
D2 is sourced from over a dozen premier vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley AVA. The grapes are cold soaked 24-36 hours, fermented for 12-14 days on skin, and aged 18 months in 100% French Oak (55% new).
To properly celebrate the highly anticipated arrival of 2021 D2, DeLille Cellars offers our D2 memory contest, where we ask you to share your favorite D2 memory and enter to win two tickets to our winery tour and food pairing experience! Five winners will be randomly selected! 2021 D2 will be released on October 18th, and the official #DrinkD2Day is on December 2nd. The D2 Memory Contest will be open and running starting October 11th, and running until October 17th.
Share in the excitement that is the 30th vintage of DeLille Cellars’ most iconic wine. We love seeing D2 out in the wild, and especially being enjoyed in any and all regards. To stay up to date with the arrival of 2021 D2, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.
Bordeaux Inspired – Distinctly Washington – Uniquely DeLille
Founded in 1992, DeLille is the oldest operating winery in Woodinville, WA, with winemaking and hospitality operations, including its award-winning tasting room and restaurant, located at the Old Redhook Brewery. Known for pioneering Bordeaux-style blends from Washington State, the winery has maintained a tradition of quality and excellence with over 950 individual 90+ ratings from leading publications and critics. DeLille Cellars focuses on the Red Mountain AVA and sources grapes from Washington’s most acclaimed vineyards. The winery is recognized by notable wine critics and influencers as one of the top producers in the state. DeLille has received five Wine & Spirits Top 100 Winery awards (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022) and four Wine Spectator Top 100 Wine awards (2007, 2018, 2020, 2022).
The 2021 D2 shows the promise of the vintage, with deep concentration and outstanding quality. Initial aromas of blackberry, cassis and green peppercorn lead to a palate bursting with beautiful richness and texture. The high-quality, fine-grained tannins of this wine allow approachability in its youth, yet have the firmness and backbone to provide aging for 15+ years. Red currant, Bing Cherry and toasty oak flavors develop with time, leading to a lengthy finish with impressive weight.
In the spring of 1992, DeLille Cellars was founded by Chris Upchurch, Jay A. Soloff, Greg Lill, and Charles Lill. The name was chosen to honor the Lill’s family heritage and years of winemaking efforts. Greg’s ancestor Julius DeLille was a Huguenot who fled the French city of Lille to escape religious persecution. In 1547, he started a winery and brewery in modern-day Czech Republic, establishing the foundation for winemaking craft in the Lill family.
Always leading with Merlot, D2 is a traditional Bordeaux-style blend sourced from over a dozen of the state’s most prestigious vineyards across the Columbia Valley to create the ultimate expression of Washington State terroir.
Arguably DeLille Cellars’ most iconic wine, we anticipate many more years of D2 to come.
D2 derives its name from the renowned grand route du vin, also known as the great wine road, which travels through the historic chateau region of Bordeaux.
Each vintage of D2 averages in the mid-to-high 90 points from Sommeliers and wine industry publications yearly.
