D2 2001
Tasting Notes:
Dark purple color. Concentrated plum and blackberry aromas with black pepper and cassis. This wine is deep and focused. More Cabernet flavors show through this year, producing a more extracted, longer-lived wine. Yet the tannins are soft and Merlot-like. Nice lingering finish.
Varietal Blend:
57% Merlot 30% Cabernet Sauvignon 7% Cabernet Franc
6% Petite Verdot
Vineyard Breakdown:
Klipsun Merlot 12%*
Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Sauvignon 13%*
Hedges Red Mtn. Merlot 13%*
Portteus Cabernet Sauvignon 12%
Ciel du Cheval Merlot 9%*
Harrison Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 5%
Ahtanum Ridge Merlot 9%
Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Franc 6%*
Portteus Merlot 8%
Harrison Hill Cabernet Franc 1%
Harrison Hill Merlot 4%
Ciel du Cheval Petite Verdot 6%*
Boushey Merlot 2%
*46% Red Mountain AVA
Awards & Acclaim:
90 pts. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Vintage 2001)
This broad, intensely flavored offering has excellent depth, more power than I'm accustomed to find at this winery and boasts winemaker Upchurch's signature elegance. A lovely, ample wine, it reveals loads of wonderfully ripe black fruits in its expressive lengthy character. Drink over the next 6 years.
90 pts. Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast (Vintage 2001)
This is DeLILLE'S second tier Bordeaux blend. Still, the list of contributing vineyards reads like a who's who of Washington viticulture. The Merlot-based wine delivers classic black cherry and plum fruit, hints of herb, and plenty of power. Most wineries would kill for a flagship wine this good.
