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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.8 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 62 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by bigredPA on 6/25/2023: Past its prime; bland. Drinkable but not enjoyable. (226 views) | | | Tasted by Neecies on 12/29/2021: Tight and youngish. Not the developed flavors I expected or have experienced in other bottles a few years back. HOLD or decant well in advance. (986 views) | | | Tasted by Neecies on 5/9/2020 flawed bottle: Corked. Bad week for clunkers! (1542 views) | | | Tasted by lewisrise on 4/11/2020 & rated 86 points: Tasted during Covid 19 shelter in place virtual tasting. Past it’s prime, muted dark fruits with earth and mushrooms on the finish (1475 views) | | | Tasted by MIRick on 3/10/2020 & rated 87 points: Opened a 2007 last night which shone above this. The 2008 started well with flavors of black cherry and leather, but quickly turned to decidedly acidic. Rating a 90 to begin and a generous 85 at the end. (1451 views) | | | Tasted by mlawren1 on 11/15/2019 & rated 93 points: Plums and blackberries over a smooth silky core. Finishes with a little pepper. (1536 views) | | | Tasted by garambler on 6/29/2018 & rated 92 points: Friends opened this for a 6/29/18 card game. It had a rich, ripe bouquet of violet, smoked meat, plum, blackberry, licorice, pepper, herb and spice aromas. The palate was rich, ripe, round and elegant with flavors of plum, blackberry, licorice, pepper, herb and spice. (1838 views) | | | Tasted by The13thGryphon on 7/7/2017 & rated 89 points: Inky in color. Nose is boysenberry, plum, dark cherry, leather, vanilla, violets, and wet river rock. The palate is very similar, with the addition of some forest floor and pepper. Flavors are intense, and the wine is lengthy in terms of finish. Nicely balanced in general terms, though on the more chewy side overall. Enjoyed with beef short ribs and mashed potatoes. (2524 views) | | | Tasted by JS1056 on 7/3/2017 & rated 88 points: 3 years since the last bottle. Opened about 4 hours prior to dinner.
Sweet plum on the nose.
My last notes talked about just not coming together completely and it needing some more time. And on the positive side a lot of the heat that was present then is gone now. But unfortunately it still has never really developed a balance that looked so promising and honestly don't think it ever will.
The fruit is still out fruit, dark plum with some bright acidity. Whatever hints of secondary flavors were there before are gone now. The finish is medium but pretty one dimensional.
Perfectly acceptable wine, but I really thought it would develop into something more.
If you have some I would drink now since I don't think it will improve and not sure if it isn't starting to take a small step back. (2309 views) | | | Tasted by JERB on 6/2/2017 & rated 88 points: Last bottle was 4 years ago. For a $16 bottle, this is a good value. Compared with more sophisticated wines in the cellar from Tensley, Alta Colina, Terry Hoage, Herman Story, and others... not in the same class. Seems to be on the waning side of its drinking window. If you've got 'em - drink 'em up. (2380 views) | | | Tasted by SeaWine on 5/11/2016 & rated 90 points: Not quite as good as I recall it previously a year or two ago, but still good. (2865 views) | | | Tasted by PrimeTime77 on 10/23/2014: Drank 10/19. Great wine once it had time to breathe (3910 views) | | | Tasted by JS1056 on 6/29/2014 & rated 89 points: Dark purple in color. Nose of dark fruit and a little pepper. Was a little hot out of the bottle. Should have decanted. Finally calmed down about 2 hours later.
This was a big wine. Cherry and raspberry really stood out but there were some others there that I just couldn't pick up. There was a lot going on and at first it almost felt like a competition in the mouth. But over time it ironed itself out and was silky red fruit that went on awhile. Underneath was some spice and maybe a little leather.
Tannins were still a little in your face but settled down after a couple of hours. Drank with rare coriander cumin spiced lamb chops and it really held up to the spice.
Drank with 1998 Guigal Brunat e Blonde and contrast was startling. The Doyenne matched much better with the chops (which I would have expected) but both really good wines, with the Guigal at the very end of life and this just entering its prime.
I will wait a few years to open the other bottle as I think it is just starting to come together. (3410 views) | | | Tasted by fitchbuck on 5/28/2014 & rated 92 points: Ok this bottle was much improved over last September's, both pop pour. Probably still a few more years out from fully integrating. (3519 views) | | | Tasted by tombiro on 1/31/2014 & rated 92 points: Decent spice, super fruity. Great nose that got even longer after an hour open. Really enjoyed this bottle. (3859 views) | | | Tasted by jmcmchi on 1/25/2014 & rated 91 points: So nice to have a syrah with real fruit and pepper today...dark berries, tar and smooth smoke on nose; nicely developed and soft on palate, with supple tannins woven around a cool pepper finish. Delicious (3365 views) | | | Tasted by Pedroel on 1/23/2014 & rated 85 points: Surprised that this was so lackluster. Balance was off. Fruit turning kinda sour, savory not there. Maybe a going-bad bottle. (2346 views) | | | Tasted by JERB on 11/13/2013 & rated 88 points: PnP; maybe not a good thing as the wine was pretty tight. It did open up a little within 30 minutes, but with ten of us drinking it, it didn't last long. (2264 views) | | | Tasted by fitchbuck on 9/28/2013 & rated 91 points: Tasty, but an alcoholic bomb upon pour - score 90.
Let it sit in fridge for 2-3 days: smoothed out, much more reasonable - score 92. (2498 views) | | | Tasted by garambler on 8/20/2013 & rated 91 points: This had a soft, elegant, well integrated bouquet of raspberry, blackberry, char, pepper, licorice, spice and smoked meat aromas. The palate was soft, elegant and nuanced with flavors of blackberry, raspberry, char, pepper, licorice and spice. The finish was just a little tart. (2255 views) | | | Tasted by W2WineGuy on 8/3/2013 & rated 90 points: Deep and dark, still a bit tannic, think it could use some time to soften up and integrae a bit more. Good one, give it another year (2187 views) | | | Tasted by spidersva on 6/2/2013 & rated 87 points: Just didn't do a lot for me. Not a ton of depth, not a ton of complexity. Maybe I'm missing something? (2502 views) | | | Tasted by RussK on 5/19/2013 & rated 90 points: Russk. for me it was a bit too big hot and disjointed. 90- (2332 views) | | | Tasted by jmcmchi on 4/12/2013 & rated 91 points: Nose of tar and dark fruit. Beautiful balance on palate; spice comes through with a delicious juiciness. steady improvement through the bottle. (2327 views) | | | Tasted by MarkC1217 on 4/3/2013 & rated 92 points: The wine looks Crimson colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, Cranberry, Plum, Dust, Coffee, Cedar, Vanilla, Meaty, Barnyard, and Alcohol/Hot. It tastes like Blackberry, Cedar, Bell Pepper, Bark, Vanilla, and Alcohol/Hot. The body is Full. The wine has Angular texture. The wine finishes Long. (2358 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| DeLille Cellars Producer website
DRINK NOW OR DRINK LATER?
by Chris Upchurch, Executive Winemaker/Vineyard Manager, Owner/Partner
By far, most questions asked of me always have something to do with the age ability of our wines. We offer the vintage chart below for this very reason, for all the red wines we have ever released. Please note that all of our wines are classically structured and designed to age well. I believe they will all see their tenth birthday and beyond in good health, and I include the white wines as well. Our white wines are not included in the chart because they are at "Drink" status at release. Aging does not make them more drinkable, yet there are interesting characteristics that can only develop in time, especially in the Chaleur Estate Blanc.
Syrah Varietal article (Wikipedia) | (Wines Northwest)
Note that some producers in the Northern Rhone distinguish between simply Syrah and "Serine", the latter described as ‘an ancient clone of Syrah, the berries of which are more oval-shaped and less deeply pigmented than Syrah’ by producer Tardieu-Laurent. USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Washington Washington Wine Commission | Credit to Washingtonwine.org for this article
Washington Wine
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Wineries
With 30,000+ acres planted, the state has ideal geography and conditions for growing premium vinifera wine grapes. Primarily grown on their own root stocks, the vines produce grapes of consistent quality, resulting in strong vintages year after year. While its focus is on Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the region also produces a wide range of other spectacular whites and reds.
Growers
Winemakers from all over the world have chosen to establish themselves in Washington, where they can create wines reflecting this region's unique characteristics. Their hand-crafted wines are receiving wide acclaim from critics regionally, nationally and internationally for their consistently high quality. Many of them have received scores of 90 and above from the major wine media. Overall this is a higher percentage than other leading wine regions.
Regions
As the state's fourth largest fruit crop, the Washington wine industry is an important contributor to the long-term preservation of Washington agriculture. The industry is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and conservation of water resources.
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Varieties
Washington produces more than 20 wine grape varieties - a ratio of 56 percent white to 44 percent red. As the industry matures and experiments, it finds many grape varieties that thrive throughout Washington's microclimates. There are more than 16,000 vineyard acres of red wine varieties statewide.
History & Vintages
Washington's wine future is limitless. As consumers discover the quality of Washington wines, demand continues to grow nationally and internationally. New acreage and wine varietals are being planted and new wineries are opening at a remarkable pace. Washington State is recognized as a premium viticultural region around the world.
State Facts
Washington's wine industry generates more than $3 billion to the state economy. It employs more than 14,000 people, directly and indirectly, with projections to add nearly 2,000 more jobs by 2006. In terms of tax revenues accrued to the state and federal government, wine grapes are among the highest tax generators of any agricultural crops. Furthermore, Washington wine tourism attracts nearly two million visitors annually contributing to the positive growth of local and regional economies.
Washington State - the perfect climate for wine = ideal growing conditions, quality wines, business innovation, lifestyle, and social responsibility. All are key elements of this world-class wine industry.
Vintages
"2008 and even more so 2010 and 2011 were cool, even cold vintages (think: 2002 in the Barossa) without the extreme ripeness, extract and higher alcohol that had become the norm in the state’s post 1995 world. 2008 was manageable but the duo of 2010/2011 nearly caused a “great depression” in Washington State." - Jon RimmermanColumbia Valley Columbia Cascade Winery Association
The Columbia Valley AVA lies mostly in Washington state, with a small section in Oregon. The Cascade Range forms its western boundary with the Palouse regions bordering the area to the east. To the north, the Okanogan National Forest forms a border with the AVA and Canada. It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Walla Walla River, the Snake River, and the Yakima River. The Columbia valley stretches between the 46th parallel and 47th parallel which puts it in line with the well known French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The northern latitude gives the areas two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than wine regions of California receive. The volcanic and sandy loam soil of the valley offers good drainage and is poor in nutrients, ideal in forcing the vine to concentrate its resources into the grape clusters.Yakima Valley Wine Yakima Valley |
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