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94
2019 Grand Ciel Syrah
Cracked ashen stones, savory herbs and smoky black currants form the 2019 Syrah Grand Ciel’s beguiling bouquet. This is silky and round on the palate, with depths of dark fruit, savory spice and herbal tones that swirl throughout. It leaves the palate caked in salty minerals and a web of fine-grained tannins while tapering off with pretty inner violet florals and a dark fruit concentration.
Eric Guido | Mar 2023 | VINOUS
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93
2018 Grand Ciel Syrah
Refined and polished, with a deep core of lively acidity and ripe tannins framed by handsome blackberry, black tea and dusky spice flavors that build tension on the lingering finish. Best from 2023 through 2030.
Tim Fish | Jun 2022 | Wine SpectaorS
94
2018 Grand Ciel Syrah
The 2018 Syrah Grand Ciel is a beautifully textured wine that is already wonderfully evolved. Rich anise, espresso bean, blueberry pie and smoky minerals all combine on the palate, along with shades of smoked brisket. Fantastic now in its fresh, rich youth, this has another decade of life in front of it.
Owen Bargreen | Mar 2022 | VINOUS
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90
2017 Grand Ciel Syrah
Aromas of coffee bean, spice and dark chocolate are followed by light fruit flavors. On the one hand, the fruit seems quite ripe. On the other, the concentration light. Grainy tannins back it up.
Sean P. Sullivan | Oct 2021 | WINE ENTHUSIAST
94
2017 Grand Ciel Syrah
Very attractive aromas of black cherries, currants and dark chocolate follow through to a medium to full body with round tannins that are soft and luscious. Some meat and spice undertones. Needs time to come together, but already open and very attractive.
James Suckling | Jul 2021 | Jamessuckling.com
93
2017 Grand Ciel Syrah
Impressive in its restraint, this wine starts off with a brooding scent—tobacco, cured meat, and loam—only to throw off that funk to reveal a bright cherry core. It has plenty of concentration, but the fruit feels lifted and luminous, Luxardo-cherry bright, with the tannins for duck breast.
Patrick J. Comiskey | Feb 2021 | WINE & SPIRITS
93+
2017 Grand Ciel Syrah
Saturated bright ruby. Medicinal, youthfully reticent scents of blackberry and violet, plus hints of black olive and smoked meat. Impressively dense, concentrated and suave, with broad, mouthfilling black fruit and floral flavors complicated by a note of cured meats. Shows more medicinal reserve and tannic grip than the Signature Syrah. Tighter and less pliant today than the Signature but with the intensity, verve and grip to evolve even more slowly. Neither of these Syrahs are overly sweet.
Stephen Tanzer | Dec 2020 | VINOUS
93+
2017 Grand Ciel Syrah
Lots of ground pepper, violets, Asian spice, and plum notes emerge from the 2017 Syrah Grand Ciel. All Syrah from a site on Red Mountain, this medium to full-bodied effort has the classic structure and minerality that always seem to be present in this appellation, good acidity, and a still tight, backward vibe that’s going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age.
Jeb Dunnuck | Apr 2020 | jebdunnuck.COM
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95
2016 Grand Ciel Syrah
The flagship Syrah is the 2016 Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard, which comes all from clone 383 and was brought up in 25-30% new French oak. It’s a smoky, meaty, gamey Syrah that has tons to love. Blackberries, ground pepper, and olive notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated yet seamless Syrah that has beautifully integrated tannins, acidity, and fruit. It’s great today and is going to evolve for at least a decade.
Jeb Dunnuck | Apr 2019 | jebdunnuck.COM
93+
2016 GRAND CIEL SYRAH
Bright ruby-red. Pungent violet lift to the slightly liqueur-like aromas of crushed blueberry and boysenberry. Quite thick, dense and savory, showing no easy sweetness to its concentrated flavors of black fruits, licorice and violet. Even more fruity and less meaty than the Signature Syrah but then this wine is still quite tightly wound and backward, and there’s almost certainly more complexity to come. Finishes very fine-grained and long, with tannins in harmony with the wine’s fruit. (entirely destemmed in 2016; aged in 30% new barriques)
STEPHEN TANZER | Dec 2019 | VINOUS.COM
93
2016 GRAND CIEL SYRAH
The 2016 Syrah Grand Ciel is a pure expression with a black-fruited core of aromas on the nose, with rich and firm spices, black pepper and just-ripe black plum and cassis. Full-bodied, the wine is still firm and rigid with expressive blackberries on the palate, with a density to the mid-palate. The wine ends with grippy tannins and a structured, lingering spice on the long finish. It’s youthful and still hard at present. Give it some time to come around in the cellar. Only 300 cases were made and which will blossom with cellar age.
Anthony Mueller | Dec 2019 | 246, The Wine Advocate
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94
2015 GRAND CIEL SYRAH
(from the 383 clone; aged entirely in barriques, 35% new; this vineyard features just two feet of soil over river rock and basalt): Bright medium ruby. An aroma of black raspberry eau de vie is complicated by hints of prosciutto and tea leaf. Juicy, sharply delineated flavors of dark berries, cardamom and pie spices are lifted by a floral topnote. Wonderfully fine-grained and suave, delivering uncommon detail and cut for a 2015 red. “How Syrah should be,” notes executive winemaker Chris Upchurch, who added that “DeLille’s middle name is tannin management.” Finishes with outstanding rising length and a captivating light touch. This wine should evolve gracefully in bottle over the next decade or more. (14.6% alcohol)
STEPHEN TANZER | JUL 2018 | VINOUS.COM
93+
2015 Grand Ciel Syrah
The flagship Syrah is the 2015 Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard and it’s all from a single vineyard on Red Mountain, was completely destemmed, and aged in 30% new French oak. Similarly colored to the Signature Syrah, it offers more black cherry, currants, scorched earth, smoke, and mineral characteristics to go with a big, rich, concentrated style on the palate. Beautifully balanced, with both tannin and acidity, it needs 2-3 years of bottle age and will shine over the following decade.
JEB DUNNUCK | APR 2018 | JEBDUNNUCK.COM
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94
2014 Grand Ciel Syrah
(this vineyard is adjacent to Ciel du Cheval; 35% new oak; 3.7 pH): Bright ruby-red. Very ripe aromas of blackberry, blueberry, licorice and menthol verge on porty. Fatter and sweeter than the Signature Syrah; less penetratingly fruity but this chocolatey-rich wine benefits from a captivating note of cardamom and harmonious acidity. The exotic spice character carries through the sweet, very long finish, which features serious but plush tannins. This clone (Entave clone 383) ripens a bit later but retains acidity well, notes Upchurch.
STEPHEN TANZER | JUL 2017 | VINOUS.COM
91+
2014 Grand Ciel Syrah
Sporting a deeper, more purple and opaque color than the Signature Syrah, the 2014 Syrah Grand Ciel is a single vineyard cuvee that’s 100% Red Mountain Syrah, all from a single clone, aged in barrel. It offers impressive notes of black fruits, espresso roast, cured meats and tapenade. These flow to a full-bodied, nicely concentrated Syrah that’s nicely balanced, has good mid-palate density, plenty of texture and a good, yet surprisingly short finish for this cuvee. It’s enjoyable today, yet I’d hold bottles for a year or two and hope it develops more length.
Jeb Dunnuck | Jun 2017 | 231, The Wine Advocate
91
2014 Grand Ciel Syrah
This wine’s black raspberry, crushed rock, blackberry, smoke and plum aromas are brooding. Its rich but focused cranberry and cherry flavors linger on the finish.
SEAN P. SULLIVAN | SEP 2018 | WINE ENTHUSIAST
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95
2013 Grand Ciel Syrah
A stunner in the vintage is the 2013 Doyenne Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard. From one of the top sites in Red Mountain, it sports a deep purple color to go with sumptuous notes of black and blue fruits, graphite, violets and crushed flowers. Rich, full-bodied and concentrated, yet also elegant, balanced and pure, it has no hard edges, sweet tannin and a great finish. It’s beautiful today with a decant, but will have 10-15 years of overall longevity.
JEB DUNNUCK | JUN 2016 | 225, THE WINE ADVOCATE
92
2013 Grand Ciel Syrah
(14.6% alcohol; from Entav clone 383, which winemaker Upchurch says is ideal for Red Mountain): Bright, saturated red-ruby. Liqueur-like blackberry, blueberry, lavender and pepper on the nose. Plush, broad and sweet on entry, showing strong spicy oak lift to the red and dark berry and pepper flavors. Riper than the 2012 but without quite the energy or perfume of that wine. Possesses a firm tannic spine to support aging, but this Syrah needs time in bottle to become more pliant.
Stephen Tanzer | Jul 2016 | Vinous.com
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93
2012 Grand Ciel Syrah
A similar purple/ruby, semi-opaque color to the Signature Syrah, the 2012 Doyenne Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard has more minerality (no doubt due to coming from Red Mountain) to go with lots of blackberry, graphite, pepper and crushed violet notes. Like the Signature Syrah, it shows the vintage nicely with lots of concentration, integrated acidity and a big finish, where the wine’s structure becomes more apparent. It will benefit from short-term cellaring and have 10-15 years of overall longevity.
JEB DUNNUCK | Jun 2015 | 219, The Wine Advocate
92+
2012 Grand Ciel Syrah
(14% alcohol; basically a single block of clone 383): Good dark red. Lovely perfume of cherry, cranberry, white pepper, spices and dusty flowers. Lovely fine-grained Syrah with a savory restraint to its highly aromatic red berry and spice flavors complicated by a hint of game. Made from a slow-to-ripen Entav clone. Finishing quite firm, even a bit youthfully sullen, this already complex Syrah needs time to evolve.
STEPHEN TANZER | JUL 2015 | VINOUS.COM
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94
2011 Grand Ciel Syrah
Slightly richer and more concentrated than the Signature Syrah, yet still playing in the elegant, seamless style of the vintage, the 2011 Doyenne Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard is 100% Syrah that was aged in 35% new French oak. Possessing beautiful black raspberry, currants, licorice, crushed rock-like minerality and hints of graphite, this beauty flows onto the palate with full-bodied richness, fabulous purity of fruit and a seamless, silky texture that carries through the finish. Give it a year or two and drink bottles through 2024.
JEB DUNNUCK | JUN 2014 | 213, THE WINE ADVOCATE
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2010 Grand Ciel Syrah
Up there with the best vintages of this cuvee to date, and slightly more refined than the Signature Syrah, the 2010 Doyenne Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard is a thrilling effort that boasts first-rate aromatics, superb concentration and an understated elegance that comes out with air. Made from 100% Grand Ciel Vineyard Syrah and aged in 30% new French oak, it delivers notions of smoked raspberries, bacon fat, crushed stone minerality, pepper and violets along with a medium to full-bodied, seamless and perfectly proportioned palate. No complaints from me, and despite the layers of fruit and polish, it possesses a decidedly Old World feel. It can be enjoyed now or cellared for a decade. Drink now-2025.
Jeb Dunnuck | JUN 2013 | 207, The Wine Advocate
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94
2008 Grand Ciel Syrah
More concentrated and structured, with decadent blackberry, smoked herbs, lead pencil, and chocolate aromas and flavors, the 2008 DeLille Cellars Syrah Doyenne Grand Ciel Vineyard (100% Syrah) is full-bodied, voluptuously textured, and beautifully proportioned on the palate. It has the texture and richness to drink brilliantly now, yet given the concentration and underlying structure, should have no problem evolving gracefully for 10-12 years or more.
Jeb Dunnuck | Jun 2012 | jebdunnuck.com
93
2008 Grand Ciel Syrah
A complex and positively animal scent rises from the glass of 2008 Doyenne Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard, suggesting roasted red meats, smoked meats, and raw liver reminiscent of Cornas. Black tea, black pepper, cherry and cassis add to the impressive aromatic display, and each of these features has its fluid counterpart on a richly-fruited, glossy, full, yet brightly juicy and irresistibly saliva-inducing mid-palate and finish. This superbly complex, glowingly intense, and next sip-compelling Syrah ought to be worth following for ten or a dozen years. (Interestingly, in contrast to most DeLille lots, this relied largely on spontaneous fermentation.)
DAVID SCHILDKNECHT | DEC 2012 | 204, THE WINE ADVOCATE
91+
2008 Grand Ciel Syrah
Bright ruby-red. Aromas of black cherry, crushed rock and flinty, smoky minerality. Concentrated but quite tight, even a bit youthfully tough at this point. The firm acids and slightly drying tannins call for at least a few years of bottling aging. Much harder to read today than the Signature Syrah.
STEPHEN TANZER | NOV 2011 | VINOUS.COM
91
2008 Grand Ciel Syrah
Firm up front, this Syrah is focused and juicy, with bacon-scented blackberry flavors, lingering gently. Picks up nice hints of mineral on the supple finish. Drink now through 2016. 350 cases made.
HARVEY STEIMAN | May 2012 | WINE SPECTATOR
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95
2007 Grand Ciel Syrah
The 2007 Grand Ciel Vineyard Syrah is a glass-coating opaque purple color. Bigger, richer, and more nuanced than the Signature cuvee, this mouth-coating wine has a finish lasting for 60-seconds. Its drinking window extends from 2013 to 2022.
Jay S Miller | Aug 2011 | 196, The Wine Advocate
94+
2007 Grand Ciel Syrah
A serious wine that shows its Red Mountain roots, the 2007 DeLille Cellars Syrah Doyenne Grand Ciel Vineyard, 100% Syrah from the Grand Ciel Vineyard, is a meaty, savory, and structured wine that delivers smoky aromatics of dried berry and darker styled fruits, garrigue, coffee, cedar, and dusty earth nuances on the nose. While still quite tight and primary, this has a subtle complexity that keeps you coming back to the wine. On the palate, it’s medium to full bodied and beautifully made, possessing a concentrated, dense feel, juicy acidity, and a tannic, focused finish that has plenty of length. Needing 3-5 years in the cellar, this should have a long drink window and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it still going strong at age 15 and beyond.
Jeb Dunnuck | Jun 2011 | jebdunnuck.COM
94
2007 Grand Ciel Syrah
(made from what Chris Peterson describes as a “New World clone” and another that’s “more austere and minerally”) Full medium ruby. Dark berries, smoked meat and a captivating floral element on the nose. Broad and creamy-sweet, with wonderfully expressive, energetic flavors of sappy berries and flowers. For all its early sex appeal, this serious syrah is still a bit tightly wound. Finishes very long, with superb tannin management. Another wine that will be approachable young but that should evolve positively in bottle for eight to ten years.
STEPHEN TANZER | NOV 2010 | VINOUS.COM
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94
2006 Grand Ciel Syrah
The 2006 Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard also contains 2% Viognier. It offers greater aromatic complexity with its wild berries and herbs, leading to a packed, dense, opulent wine with a sauvage character that should please any Rhone enthusiast. This impeccably balanced, pleasure-bent Syrah will have a drinking window extending from 2011 to 2021.
Jay S Miller | oct 2009 | 185, The Wine Advocate
93+
2006 Grand Ciel Syrah
Smooth and polished, the 2006 DeLille Cellars Syrah Doyenne Grand Ciel Vineyard offers deep blackberry and cassis fruits, sage, thyme and earthy notes. Beautifully integrated wood adds depth and a subtle chocolate note creeps in there as well. The palate is medium to full bodied with concentrated fruit, a superb texture, solid balance and a rock star finish that builds in the mouth with fine, ripe tannin. Pure and focused, this should age well over the next 12 to 15 years.
Jeb Dunnuck | May 2010 | jebdunnuck.com
91
2006 Grand Ciel Syrah
Deep, bright ruby-red. Pungent aroma of pomegranate lifted by flowers. Expressive, pure flavors of cassis, blackberry and violet tighten up quickly in the glass, turning increasingly clenched with air. Intensely flavored and sweet but dominated by its structure today and in need of patience.
STEPHEN TANZER | NOV 2009 | VINOUS.COM
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92
2005 Grand Ciel Syrah
Rich, ripe and generous, offering a huge mouthful of coffee-accented plum and blueberry flavors. Finishes spicy, with hints of licorice and cardamom. Needs time to soften a bit. Best from 2009 through 2015. 450 cases made.
HARVEY STEIMAN | DEC 2008 | WINE SPECTATOR
91+
2005 Grand Ciel Syrah
Bright medium ruby. Aromatic but youthfully backward nose hints at tar, black olive, pepper and dried herbs. Dense, juicy and sweet, with lovely intensity and definition of flavor. Dark fruit notes are lifted by dried herbs and smoke. Very ripe but not porty. Not an easy style but complex and structured. According to winemaker Chris Peterson, this vineyard is adjacent to Quilceda Creek’s Golitzine Vineyard.
STEPHEN TANZER | NOV 2008 | VINOUS.COM
91
2005 Grand Ciel Syrah
The 2005 Syrah Grand Ciel is sourced from the winery’s new estate vineyard in Red Mountain. The wine has 3% Viognier co-fermented with aging in 20% new French oak. Large-scaled and very aromatic, it offers up notes of smoke, meat, game, bacon, blueberry, and blackberry jam. It has enough tannin to evolve for 3-5 years along with excellent balance and a pure, fruit-filled finish. Enjoy this impressive Syrah from 2012 to 2020.
JAY S MILLER | Jun 2008 | 177, The Wine Advocate