Country: | United States |
Region: | Washington (Walla Walla) |
Winery: | DeLille Cellars |
Grape Types: | Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Petit Verdot |
Vintage: | 2008 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Château Grand-Puy Ducasse will seduce lovers of great red wines from Pauillac with its exceptional quality marked by a very beautiful aromatic richness. A classic vintage, complete, complex, rich and unctuous, this cuvée promises superb aging potential.
Aging 18 months in French oak barrels (35% new for the 2020 vintage).After manual harvesting in crates and an initial sorting in the vineyard, the grapes are sorted again using the latest generation optical sorting system. Vinification is then carried out in stainless steel temperature controlled tanks however for some of the batches, malolactic fermentation is also carried out in new barrels.
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf Du Pape Blanc La Fontaine is made from 100% Roussane.
Yellow-gold color. The nose is rich in aromas of citrus fruit, tropical fruit, quince and honey, with a touch of vanilla. On the palate, the same aromas appear together with a fatness combining exotic fruit and vanilla : the wine is rich, generous and elegant, with extraordinary length. "La Fontaine" is often considered to be one of the best Châteauneuf du Pape white, and it is by definition a superb gastronomy wine.
Best between 1 and 8 years.
Review:
"The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Fontaine Blanc is a much more concentrated, serious wine, and it takes plenty of air to show at its best today. Based on Roussanne, it has a medium gold hue as well as rich aromatics of honeyed stone fruits, orange blossom, caramelized peach, and toasted bread. Beautiful on the palate as well, it’s medium-bodied, has a layered, concentrated mouthfeel, good acidity, and a great finish. Give it a year or three in the cellar and enjoy over the following decade."
- Jeb Dunnuck (November 2022), 94 pts
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Le Miocene is made from 60% Clairette, 40% Roussanne
Pale yellow colour with hints of green, aromas of white flowers (may blossom, honeysuckle).
The palate is pleasantly balanced between liveliness and roundness, which brings out characteristics of dried apricot, honey and elderberry. A Châteauneuf du Pape white displaying a great finesse.
Best between 1 and 8 years.
Soil type Coming from the single vineyard named “La Fontaine”, the plot is facing north.It is made of clay-sand and limestone. Thanks to the northern orientation, it is always very well aired. This sector allow the Roussane and Clairette to mature in great conditions without losing freshness, which we believe is key point. Winemaking & ageing Whole-bunch pressing. Vinification in stainless-steel tanks. Fermentation temperature controlled at 15°C.
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge Le Miocene is made from 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre .
An intense dark-ruby color. The nose develop aromas of ripe black fruit (such as blackberry), cherry and spice box. The palate reveals the presence of tannins, in high quantity and elegant. The finish is long and luxurious. This is the Châteauneuf du Pape expression, displaying all the characteristics of the terroir.
Soil type: Plots are located northern part of Châteauneuf du Pape and the vines are grown under organic process.The soil is marked by the violence wrought by the Rhone river. It consists of a layer of marine molasses of the Miocene period covered by alpine alluvium. The presence of a great number of rounded stones known as "galets" in the earth is evidence of the time when the Rhone, then a torrent, tore fragments of rock from the Alps and deposited them on the plain. The GRAND VENEUR cuvee will express year after year a great power and aromatic complexity.
Winemaking & ageing: Harvest is sorted by hand, destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in vats and oak casks.
Review:
"A rather elegant Chateauneuf with plenty of red fruits and some floral notes, plus a touch of tomato ketchup. Very good fruit, but also a solid base of tannins on the medium- to full-bodied palate. The crisp acidity is well-integrated at the long, moderately dry finish. A cuvee of 70% grenache, 20% syrah and 10% mourvedre. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (April 2023), 91 pts
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge Les Origines (MAGNUM) is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 20% Syrah
Matured in vats (grenache) and in oak casks (syrah and mourvèdre).
Deep and brilliant, purple-red colour. An exciting nose with aromas of black fruit (blackcurrant, cherry) spices and vanilla. This great aromatic complexity is found on the palate : the spices and ripe fruit appear with an elegant woodiness and harmonious tannins. The finish has good aromatic length and introduces a touch of liquorice and pepper.
A terrific Châteauneuf du Pape with great concentration and finesse.
Best between 2 and 20 years. Best to decant if young (less than 5 years old).
Soil type Extreme north of Châteauneuf du Pape. This plateau is made with a high quantity of red clay mixed with rocks. This area is considerated to be one of the best to produce rich and powerful red wines. By definition, LES ORIGINES will always deliver a great complexity and ageing potential. Winemaking & ageing Harvest is sorted by hand, destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in vats (grenache) and in oak casks (syrah and mourvèdre).
Review:
"The 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape les Origines offers up scents of lavender and thyme on the nose, accenting red berries and cherries. This full-bodied effort reveals an intriguing tautness on the palate, with tart, redcurrant and pie-cherry notes juxtaposed against hints of dark chocolate. It seems to have tightened up a bit since I tasted it last year. The tannins are more prominent here than in many 2018s, suggesting that a couple of years in the cellar wouldn't hurt, as there's ample concentration and plenty of fruit-driven length on the finish. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue 251,October 2020), 94+ pts
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge Les Origines is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 20% Syrah
Matured in vats (grenache) and in oak casks (syrah and mourvèdre).
Deep and brilliant, purple-red colour. An exciting nose with aromas of black fruit (blackcurrant, cherry) spices and vanilla. This great aromatic complexity is found on the palate : the spices and ripe fruit appear with an elegant woodiness and harmonious tannins. The finish has good aromatic length and introduces a touch of liquorice and pepper.
A terrific Châteauneuf du Pape with great concentration and finesse.
Best between 2 and 20 years. Best to decant if young (less than 5 years old).
Soil type Extreme north of Châteauneuf du Pape. This plateau is made with a high quantity of red clay mixed with rocks. This area is considerated to be one of the best to produce rich and powerful red wines. By definition, LES ORIGINES will always deliver a great complexity and ageing potential. Winemaking & ageing Harvest is sorted by hand, destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in vats (grenache) and in oak casks (syrah and mourvèdre).
Review:
"The huge nose of violet pastilles, mulberries, smoked bacon and a touch of hot asphalt pulls you into this expansive but beautifully balanced Chateauneuf that’s packed with fine, powdery tannin. So much bitter-chocolate character, but this exactly matches the deep fruit and, at the long crescendo finish, there are fascinating balsamic and hot dry-earth touches. Drinkable now, but best from 2025."
- James Suckling (March 2022), 94 pts
DeLille Grand Ciel is made from 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot The 2008 Chaleur Estate Red has a restrained nose of black cherry, plum, graphite, vanilla, fresh sage, thyme and white pepper. The palate is complete from front to back, boasting the high pedigree of its venerable vineyard sources along with the balance of the 2008 vintage. In the mouth, the black cherry and plum carry through from the nose augmented with rich notes of vanilla, bittersweet chocolate and espresso powder. This vintage shows the elegant side of Chaleur Estate and it's stunning, for sure. As usual, cellaring will improve this wine for years to come, though it can be hard to resist drinking now.
Good bright red-ruby. Highly perfumed aromas and flavors of strawberry, spicy oak and rose petal. Suave, silky and floral on the palate, with terrific inner-mouth lift giving the wine a light touch rare for New World cabernet. The win'es compelling perfume carries through to the very long, ripely tannic finish. A beauty.
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Nov/Dec 2011) 94 Points
The Grand Ciel Vineyard seems to be coming into maturity, and this shows impressive depth and complexity. Infused with flavors of rock and light herb, with hints of stem, anise, coffee and cocoa, it nonetheless remains firmly anchored in ripe black cherry and cassis. This could easily be cellared for 10–15 years. 93 Points Cellar Selection. Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide, Best of Year/2012 – December, 2012
Unblended with any other cépage and entirely from the DeLille estate vineyard, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Ciel (their fifth) was as usual bottled after around 20 months – like the corresponding Harrison Hill and Chaleur – but held even longer before release. There is a hard-to-pin-down sense of meaty, mineral density underlying the sweetly-concentrated dark berry fruit of this seamless, ultra-finely tannic Cabernet, almost as though there were extracts of iron-rich beef liver and chard – not to mention crushed stone and metal filings – in the blend. High-toned evocations of herbal and floral distillates add to the multi-layered, oscillating complexity on a captivating, palate-staining performance, culminating in a positively reverberative finish in which all the stops of the organ are pulled and both feet are pumping the pedals with all their might. To prosaically suggest an admittedly far-from-perfect analogy, this put me in mind of the marriage between a great Pauillac and a Madiran, but with a sense of sheer energy one can seldom derive from either. Pending further experience on my part, I can but go on intuition in suggesting that this is likely to merit at least 15 years of repeated (and rapt) attention. -95 Point Robert Parker Dec 2012
The DeLille Cellars Estate
Founded in 1992, DeLille Cellars is a small family owned winery located in Woodinville, Washington. Their goal is to make the very best handcrafted, old-world style red and white wine made in the State of Washington.
The DeLille Cellars Vineyard
The beautiful ten-acre site sits above the Woodinville valley floor, overlooking the wineries of Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery. All DeLille wines are elaborated with the highest “hand-crafted” standards. Only grapes from the oldest and best vineyards in Washington State are used. They are hand picked and hand sorted at crush, using only the finest berry clusters. The wines are aged in 100% new French oak barrels each and every year and are never filtered.
The DeLille Cellars Wines
In the words of David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate, December 2012:
"Winemaker-vineyard manager and self-styled "old world traditionalist" Chris Upchurch has been the guiding spirit of DeLille Cellars since its early-’90s inception, although the ostensibly Old World models followed have evolved significantly in both marketing and winemaking terms. Early-on, DeLille, unsurprisingly, – like so many other U.S. wineries – focused exclusively on a Bordelais vision. That said, Upchurch and his partners had been in business for nearly a decade before they purchased a vineyard: Grand Ciel, adjacent to Ciel du Cheval and Galitzine and managed by the accomplished and (seemingly in Red Mountain at least) ubiquitous Ryan Johnson. DeLille also vinifies and bottles separately the fruit of Harrison Hill’s antique vines (for more about which see my tasting note on the 2009 vintage) and a second estate vineyard project is afoot. The established if misleading name Chaleur Estate was retained for DeLille’s flagship wine crafted from contract fruit (second wine: D2); while the designation Doyenne – utilized from early-on for Syrah – morphed into an officially separate winery for experimental-minded exploration of themes inspired by Southern France. (For database purposes, we at The Wine Advocate / eRobertParker.com treat Doyenne as part of the relevant wines’ descriptions and a DeLille sub-label, which reflects the way those wines are marketed and the spirit in which they were presented to me. Comments on Upchurch’s vinificatory approaches can be found sprinkled though my tasting notes.)"
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah
Matured in concrete vats (40%) and oak casks (60%)
It boasts an inky/purple color in addition to a gorgeous perfume of crushed rocks, jammy black fruits, charcoal and graphite. Blackberry aroma with an air of dates pressed in alongside – this is sweet-noted. It is easy to appreciate, a sleek and stylish start. The palate holds excellent fruit that runs well and has kick. Its tannins move round freely and a minted finale comes forward. Its dark fruit is tasty, darkens on the finish, where tar and char from its oak enter. It is all very much together, a bundle of harmony, and will gain local attributes as it ages.
An outstanding Chateauneuf du Pape which display the best of its terroir.
The vines are 50 to 100+ year old. They are planted on red clay soils covered with pebble stones.
Harvest is destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in concrete vats (40%) and oak casks (60%).
The vineyards are located in the north of Châteauneuf du Pape. GRAND VENEUR «Vieilles Vignes» cuvee is produced from the older vines. Thanks to time and an organic growing, roots go very deep in the soil. Yields are naturally low and grapes highly concentrated.
The vines are 50 to 100+ year old. They are planted on red clay soils covered with pebble stones.
Winemaking and aging
Harvest is destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in concrete vats (40%) and oak casks (60%).
Pair with venisson, duck, braised lamb or strong cheese.
Review:
"Up with the crème de la crème of the vintage, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a bigger, richer wine than the Les Origines cuvée and has a beautiful core of smoked black fruits, candied violets, peppery garrigue, and scorched earth-like aromas and flavors. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it’s flawlessly balanced and has terrific tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great finish. It certainly shows the more front end-loaded, fleshy, mildly concentrated style of the 2018 vintage, yet the balance is top-notch, and it’s just a thrill to drink today. It should evolve nicely for 10-15 years."
- Jeb Dunnuck (October 2020),96 pts
This new-wave Rioja (see below for info) is a blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and Garnacha. It combines maturity and complexity with freshness and elegance. Theres a core of dark plummy fruit, with some cherry notes, spice and earthiness and lovely ripe tannins giving complexity and body.
This is perfect with grilled lamb chops and salsa verde
Rioja has traditionally been defined by its ageing. Wines would be blended from across the region and quality would be defined by a wines age - vineyards and regionality were not considered important. Now, theres a new movement in Rioja where new wave producers are pushing to label the wines from their villages and regions highlighting the difference in the terroir and individual parcels.
Creaciones Exeo is part of this movement , stepping away from traditional methods, to produce fresher styles of wine with a lesser reliance an oak influence. The important thing here is hard work in the vineyard to produce great fruit.
Located in the area of Labastida, Rioja Alavesa (this village is labelled on the bottle, until very recently producers were not allowed to do this), Carlos works with 24 hectares of the highest altitude vineyards of the area. In the shelter of the Sierra Toloo, the vines benefit from Atlantic influences and the soils here are mainly chalk and limestone which all help to give elegance the wine.