Chaleur Estate
Review of Washington Wines,Rand Sealey February 2010
2007 DeLille Estate Chaleur Estate Red Wine Yakima Valley
I tasted this at DeLille’s Pere Noel event and found it compelling. It exhibited a smoky, sultry nose of wild currants, blueberries, violets and vanilla bean along with an expansive mid-palate that was filled with chocolate, licorice and thick dark fruits. The lengthy finish is marked by toasty oak; fine fruit-acid balance, hints of coriander and allspice and a squeeze of blueberry juice upon a fine-grained tannin finish. 19.5/20 points.
Stephen Tanzer, NOV/DEC 09
2006 DeLille Estate Chaleur Estate Red Wine Yakima Valley
($75; 65% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot, almost entirely from Red Mountain fruit; in fact, the 2007 bottling will use Red Mountain as its appellation) Good deep ruby-red. Black fruits perked up by violet on the nose. Highly concentrated, intense and deep, with dominant flavors of blackberry and spice. The cabernet franc component gives terrific lift to the middle palate, and a wild element of Provencal herbs adds further complexity. A pliant and sophisticated red wine with a plush texture and very suave, integrated tannins. The Chaleur Estate reds have been taken to a new level over the past few vintages. 94 Pts.
Robert Parker Wine Advocate, Closing Date: 10-31-09, Issue 185
2006 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Yakima Valley Red J.M. 92 Pts.
The 2006 Chaleur Estate is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot source predominantly from the Red Mountain AVA. Purple-colored, it displays an enticing bouquet of toast, spice box, black currant and blackberry. Already complex on the palate, it has superb density and outstand integration of oak, tannin, and acidity. Give this lengthy effort another 4-6 years of cellaring and drink it from 2013-2021.
Wine Enthusiast Magazine, November 2009
DeLille Cellars 2006 Chaleur Estate Red Wine Red Blend (Yakima Valley)
At first this Chaleur Estate seemed closed up tight and lightly herbal, but grudgingly opened with streaks of olive, chalk, coffee grounds. A second bottle was much brighter, layered with plum, cherry, chocolate, herb, and an impression of pepper. Subtle and sleek, this wine is built to age and needs to be decanted. - P.G. 93 Pts.
Top 100 Washington Wines 2009, The Seattle Times, Paul Gregutt, Wine Adviser, November 29, 2009
From Paul Gregutt’s list of the best Washington wines for 2009!
Wine #40: DeLille Cellars 2006 Chaleur Estate
"Turn to Washington for great Cabernet values", SF Gate.com (San Francisco Chronicle) August 9, 2009,
Jon Bonné
2006 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Red Mountain Red Wine ($75): Subtle, with big cocoa and dust tones atop sappy cherry fruit. A more prominent grip steps forward, with the tannins adding a welcome tension to the generous fruit layers.
Delta Sky Magazine October 2009
Quick Picks “Tiny DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate cabernet and merlot blend competes with the big boys of Napa and Bordeaux.”
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DeLILLE CELLARS 2005 Chaleur Estate Red Wine, Yakima Valley |
A Classic Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (65 percent), Merlot (25 percent), Cabernet Franc (9 percent) and Petit Verdot (1 percent), this wine has beautiful aromas of dusty black cherry and plum, with interesting additional flavors of black tea, black olive and cassis.
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Gold DeLille DeLille Chaleur Estate 2006 Red Mountain |
91+ Pts. Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (2005 Vintage)
Bright ruby-red. Cassis, boysenberry, tar and brown spices on the nose. Sweet and sexy on entry, then powerful and a bit youthfully aggressive in the middle, with a bit of alcohol (actually 14.9%) currently muting the black fruit flavors. This solidly structured wine finishes with excellent tannic grip but is currently a bit clenched. I'd give it five years of cellaring, at which time I suspect it will merit a higher score.
Silver Medal – DeLILLE CELLARS 2005 Chaleur Estate (red) - South Florida Fine Wine Competition
Second Annual American Fine Wine Competition (AFWC). November, 2008
The judges are a mix of wine educators, wine buyers, chef's, a Master Sommelier, Sommeliers, and wine writers, and the judging is conducted blindly. To receive a medal from any one of the panels is a terrific achievement. The "Double Gold Medal” winners required a unanimous vote of the panel, while a "Gold Medal" required 75% of the panel’s approval.
“1001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die”, Universe Publishing, 2008 Preface by Hugh Johnson, and wines selected and reviewed by “Leading International Critics”.
DeLILLE CELLARS 2005 Chaleur Estate Red (page 518): “From its inception in 1992, the partnership behind DeLILLE CELLARS has desired nothing more than to produce exceptional wines – the powerful ones founder Chris Upchurch loves. When others focused on varietal wines, DeLILLE staked its claim on the synergy of blended grapes. Upchurch believes in blending not just varieties, but different vineyard sites. Although Chaleur Estate is essentially a warm-climate, Red Mountain wine, Upchurch finds balance by blending cooler-climate Merlot from Boushey Vineyard to soften the ripe, but tannic Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc adds aromatic complexity. Petit Verdot, Upchurch says, elevates all. This is a wine that coheres harmoniously.
Chaleur Estate usually ages in 100 percent French Oak barrels for eighteen months, primarily for natural clarification and fresh spice notes. The wine is fined but never filtered. The 2005 vintage is regarded as the best in Washington State for at least ten years. Even young, the seamlessly structured, complex, and rich Chaleur exhibits glorious, high-toned fruits above a concentrated core of herbs, dark fruits, and minerality. Drink to 2017+. Lisa Granik M.W.”
"Critic's Choice Red Wine of the Year" award, Sunset Magazine (2005 Vintage)
This year the competition was exceptionally stiff. Working in teams, our judges (wine writers, educators, and sommeliers from up and down the West Coast) blind-tasted more than 200 wines nominated across four price ranges - a veritable Western wine hall of fame. Chaleur Estate stood out in the lineup!
94 Pts. - "Editor's Choice", Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast (2005 Vintage)
Chaleur Estate is DeLille’s finest red wine; this vintage is more refined, elegant and precise that ever before. The 2005 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1 % Petit Verdot; it’s especially ripe and expressive. Lovely details of ripe cherry, plum and cassis fruit are dappled with intriguing grace notes of sweet grass, fresh herb and cracker. The wine has grace and length, and the finish combines earth, herb, rock and light hints of toast.
The Top 100 Northwest Wines, Wine #5 - Seattle Metropolitan (2005 Vintage)
"Here's a wine that gives Bordeaux's best bottles a run for their money."
To create a list of the best Pacific Northwest wines currently in release, Seattle Metropolitan enlisted wine critic Condé Cox, a current candidate for the prestigious master of wine certification, who braved serious palate fatigue from tasting over 1,000 different bottles.
93 Pts. - Wine Spectator (2005 Vintage)
Smooth, round and harmonious, offering an elegant mouthful of creamy, spice-accented black cherry currant and plum flavors, nicely fashioned to breeze through a veil of fine tannins on the beautifully focused finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2015. - H.S.
93 Pts. - Jay Miller, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2005 Vintage)
The flagship 2005 Chaleur Estate is sourced largely from the Red Mountain AVA and is the same blend as the Harrison Hill. It is a more structured wine with 4-6 years of aging potential and gobs of black cherry and blackberry fruit. This nicely balanced, lengthy effort will be at its best from 2013 to 2025. DeLille Cellars and Doyenne are sister labels, the former for Bordeaux-style wines and the latter for Rhone-style wines. They will be reviewed separately.-J.M.
93 Pts. - Jay Miller, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2004 Vintage)
The 2004 Chaleur Estate is a blend from three vineyards, predominantly in the Red Mountain AVA, and is composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Purple-colored, it presents a Bordeaux-like perfume of cedar, vanilla, spice box, cranberry, cassis, clove, and black currants. This is followed by a full-bodied wine with gobs of ripe fruit, serious depth and concentration, soft tannins, and complex flavors. Drink this hedonistic effort over the next 10-12 years.
92+ Pts. - Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar (2004 Vintage)
Good saturated red-ruby color. Captivating aromas of boysenberry, redcurrant and cedary, vanilla oak. Deep, sweet and concentrated, with an almost dried fruit character to the cassis and dark chocolate flavors. This dense, sexy wine is a suave but very young, and will require at least a few years of cellaring to resolve its oak and firm tannins.
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93 Pts. - Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast (2004 Vintage)
This is a similar blend to DeLille's Harrison Hill bottling, but these grapes are largely from Red Mountain. Chaleur Estate is a very site-specific wine, and it has a strong component of mineral, granite, or pencil lead. Dense, well-articulated flavors of very tart, precise red fruits, blue fruits, black fruits almost overwhelms; this is a wine to savor and one that requires a lot of airtime.
92 Pts. - Lisa Minucci’s Spring 2007 Vintrust SOMMselection (2004 Vintage)
DeLille Cellars makes five Bordeaux-style blends. These blends showcase the area and the style of the winery. This is a Left Bank-style blend delivering an incredible wine with opulent, black briary fruit with a solid structured core.
Spring 2007-Sommelier Jesse Rodriguez, Grand del Mar Resort, San Diego, CA
91 Pts. - Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator (2004 Vintage)
An aristocratic red, firm, with strong peppery overtones to the dark berry and smoke flavors. There is more than a hint of roasted red pepper on the finish, but the overall effect is complex and rich. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2008 through 2014. -H.S. May 2007
Washington wines stand taste-test of time The Seattle Times
There is a mystique to old wines, or, more specifically, to the idea that wines are capable of aging... In fact, DeLILLE just reached that milestone and honored the occasion with a 10-year retrospective of its flagship red wine, Chaleur Estate. Winemaker Chris Upchurch noted that vertical tastings allow you to look for the quality that the wines have in common - the unifying signature of the property and things that are distinctly different, such as variations in vintage conditions. Chaleur Estate is consistently about two-thirds cabernet sauvignon, one quarter merlot and the rest cabernet franc, mostly from Red Mountain vineyards. And those were some of the threads that tied the vintages together. The 10 wines on display were balanced and silky, most still quite juicy and youthful. The wines from the mid-1990s were in particularly fine condition, the '95 a standout for me, showing early hints of cinnamon, cedar, incense and tobacco, with concentrated raspberry fruit at the core.Outstanding! Wine Press NW (2003 Vintage)
For many years, Bordeaux-style blends in Washington have been defined by this Woodinville winery. This Cab-dominated red relies on fruit from two vaunted vineyards: Ciel due Cheval and Klipsun. It's a superb wine now, thanks to complex aromas and flavors of black cherries, ripe plums, vanilla, chocolate and black pepper. The tannins are accessible now, but this will improve even more, if you have the patience to hold it for a half-decade or more.95 Pts. - Pierre Rovani, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2003 Vintage)
Both the 2003 and 2002 red Chaleur Estates set new standards for this top-notch Washington winery. Winemaker Chris Upchurch is wedded to producing wines of harmony as well as grace, and with these two gems he's hit the bull's-eye on two successive occasions. Amazing aromas of blueberries, black cherries, spices, sage, thyme, and violets emanate from the glass of the 2003 Chaleur Estate (red). Though this wine is densely packed with candied blackberries as well as cassis, it loses none of its elegance and charm. Extremely well-focused and detailed, it also reveals great length in its seamless finish. Drink it over the next 15 years.92 Pts. - Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast (2003 Vintage)
Powerful, youthful and still a bit raw, the newest release of DeLILLE'S signature red blend shows a range of fruit from cherry and blackberry to dark notes of raisin and balsamic. It's still melding together its aggressive barrel toast, showing good structure and balance for long-term aging. Despite its almost 15% alcohol, it is balanced and even.90 Pts. - Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator (2003 Vintage)
Rich, with plush tannins around a lively core or currant and dusky herb flavors, persisting through the solidly finish, even while it retains a real elegance. Needs cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Best from 2008 through 2013.The Varietal Awards - Best Blend Seattle Magazine (2002 Vintage)
For many years, Bordeaux-style blends in Washington have been defined by this Woodinville winery. This Cab-dominated red relies on fruit from two vaunted vineyards: Ciel due Cheval and Klipsun. It's a superb wine now, thanks to complex aromas and flavors of black cherries, ripe plums, vanilla, chocolate and black pepper. The tannins are accessible now, but this will improve even more, if you have the patience to hold it for a half-decade or more.95+ Pts. - Pierre Rovani, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2002 Vintage)
Lead pencil shavings and candied black fruits are found in the nose of the 2002 Chaleur Estate (red). An exceptional wine, it is medium to full bodied, thick, hugely concentrated, and powerful. Its inky, tarry core of fruit displays waves of cassis and blackberry liqueur as well as copious quantities of ripe tannin. I'm convinced this effort will shut down soon before roaring back with a vengeance in a few years, when the tannin has melted into the fruit. Projected maturity; 2012 - 2025.5 stars: Outstanding Quarterly Review of Wines,"Best of the Best in Washington" (2002 Vintage)
It originally shared Co-Best of Show with Chateau Ste. Michelle . . . it is deep, rich, nicely made, nutty, with chocolate tones.92 Pts. - Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator Insider (2002 Vintage)
Another classy red from one of Washington's mainstays. Firm, generous and tightly packed with ripe currant, blueberry and gentle spice flavors, lingering against chewy tannins on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2007 through 2015.91 Pts. - Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar (2002 Vintage)
Bright ruby-red. Currant, rose petal, licorice and nutty oak on the nose. Plump and generous; full and ripe. Comes across as rather soft but with no shortage of underlying spine. Sweet red fruit and floral flavors are lifted by a note of fresh blackberry. Finishes with fine-grained tannins.
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