Chaleur Estate Blanc
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 2012
2010 Chaleur Esate Blanc | 92 Points
Reviewed by David Schildknecht
DeLille’s 2010 Chaleur Estate Blanc – a blend of Sauvignon with 23% Semillon from four manifestly superbly well-managed sites – is dominated by lime peel-laced fig and honeydew melon, to which honeysuckle and heliotrope perfume add allure, and an aura of smokiness and high-toned suggestion of almond extract and peppermint add further pungent intrigue. The palate impression here manages adroitly to balance waxy texture, zesty piquancy, and infectious juiciness. “If you made the quantity of Semillon equal, it would take over the blend,” notes Upchurch, channeling precisely the hypothesis I was myself entertaining at that moment. Everybody’s giving up on Semillon,” he adds with (what I at least hope is) hyperbole, “Californians, South Americans, even Australians; but I love working with it.” Upchurch is proud of the particular assortment of barrels he has assembled to suit his Chaleur white, and it came as a big surprise to me after tasting this installment to learn that 70% of them were new; but the trick is that the wine spends only four months in them, based on what Upchurch, by analogy with baking, calls the “TODD” principle: take it out when it’s done, dummy! This is likely to reward and morph significantly over a decade of cellaring.
Wine Enthusiast Magazine December 2011
2010 Chaleur Estate Blanc | 91 Points
This new vintage of Chaleur Estate Blanc is still quite young and tight. It shows the toasty scents of pretty new oak, set in an elegant frame of mixed fruits. Cucumber, apple, citrus and melon flavors emerge, suggesting an overall lighter style from a cooler vintage. Graceful and polished. --P.G.
The Seattle Times Top 100 Northwest Wines of 2011 by Paul Gregutt
2009 Chaleur Estate Blanc | #13/100 wines
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Nov/Dec 2011
2010 Chaleur Estate Blanc | 93 Points. Highest scoring Washington white table wine in this review
(an 80/20 blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon; the winery cut back on the percentage of semillon in 2010): Bright full yellow. Knockout nose combines musky curry powder and cumin notes with pineapple oil, ginger and chlorophyll; today it's the sauvignon blanc that dominates. Then supple and intense in the mouth, with excellent acidity serving to frame and intensify the peach, citrus chlorophyll and basil flavors. Finishes very long, serious and suave, leaving an impression of fairly low alcohol. A beauty.
Wine Enthusiast Magazine July 2011
2009 Chaleur Estate Blanc | 95 points | Editors' Choice
Consistent year after year, this blend of 67% Sauvignon Blanc and 33% Sémillon is modeled after top-flight white Bordeaux. Deep gold, toasty and scented with olive oil, walnuts and loam, it hits the palate full-on with a rainbow of flavors: citrus, stone and tropical fruits, all accented with toast, oil and nuts from barrel aging. Riveting, delicious and unique.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate August 2011
2008 Chaleur Estate Blanc | 92 points
The 2008 Chaleur Estate Blanc is a barrel-fermented and aged blend of 62% Sauvignon Blanc and 38% Semillon sourced from 4 of eastern Washington’s finest terroirs. Medium gold-colored, it reveals an outstanding perfume of mineral, grilled brioche, citrus, gooseberry, honey, and fig. Creamy-textured, round, and already complex with all components nicely integrated, it should drink nicely for at least 5-6 years.
Rand Sealey, Review of Washington Wines January 2010
www.reviewofwashingtonwines.com
This white companion to DeLille’s Chaleur Estate red, is an elegant 62% Sauvignon Blanc, 38% Semillon combo.
On the nose, it offers enticing grapefruit, butternut, orange blossom and jasmine scents. The flavors are finely fruited – citrus, gooseberry and a hint of fig – with touches of crème brulee and orange peel in the crisp, silky flavors that show near-perfect fruit acid balance. This is a truly compelling white. 19/20 points.
Stephen Tanzer November/December 2009
2008 DeLille Estate Chaleur Estate Blanc | 93 points
($34; a 62/38 blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon) Sexy aromas of orange blossom and almond, plus a whiff of Rainier cherry. Sweet, concentrated and fat, with a subtle honeyed quality to the sexy fruit and smoke flavors. A leesy complexity adds to the wine's appeal. This boasts terrific intensity for Washington State white wine and finishes with superb persistence. The percentage of new oak used for this cuvee has declined steadily from 100% in 2005 to 60% in this 2008, and I applaud this strategy.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, October 2009 Issue 185
2007 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 91 Points
The 2007 Chaleur Estate Blanc is composed of 68% Sauvignon Blanc and 32% Semillon sourced from Boushey, Sagemoor, and Klipsun Vineyards, some of the finest sites in the Columbia Valley. Medium straw-colored, it offers up a superb aromatic array of spring flowers, fresh herbs, citrus, toasted almonds and candle wax. Medium-bodied and creamy textured, on the palate citrus, pear and baking spice notes emerge leading to a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. Like a top-class Pessac-Léognan from Bordeaux, it should take on additional complexity with several more years of bottle age, although it can be enjoyed now.
Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, March 1, 2009 issue
2007 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 92 Points
Make no mistake—the model for this wine can be found among the classified growth white wines of Bordeaux. The barrel influences are many and varied, layering in a mix of smoke, caramel and cracker, and the fruit is supple and beautifully blended. White raisins, Asian pears, pineapple and peaches blend together gracefully, and the alcohol remains at a moderate 13.8% --- P.G.
Top 100 Enthusiast Wines for 2008, Wine Enthusiast Magazine
2006 Chaleur Estate Blanc | 94 Points | #73 of 100
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
2007 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 93 Points
Bright, full yellow with a green tinge. Pure aromas of pineapple, pear, chlorophyll and high-toned spicy oak. Bright, pure and penetrating in the mouth, with terrific density and nuance to the flavors of lime zest, minerals and coconut. For all its depth, this conveys a rare light touch. This belongs on the same table as a top-tier white Bordeaux; I was reminded of Domaine de Chevalier! One of the most exciting white wines I've tasted to date from Washington.
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
2006 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 90 Points
Pale yellow. Aromas of lemon, toast and straw; very much in a white Bordeaux style. Ripe, dense and quite dry but with an intriguingly saline, tactile quality and a honeyed nuance giving it a subtle sweetness. Finishes ripe and persistent, with late hints of honey and herbs. Winemaker Peterson has cut back on the percentage of new oak (it's now 80% rather than 100%), and this is all to the good.
South Florida Fine Wine Competition
Second Annual American Fine Wine Competition (AFWC). November, 2008
DeLille Cellars 2007 Chaleur Estate Blanc | Silver Medal
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.
Seattle Metropolitan Magazine, Top 100 Northwest Wines
DeLille Cellars 2006 Chaleur Estate Blanc | #15 of 100
"A Woodinville wine that recalls the famous dry whites from Pessac-Léognan in Bordeaux, France." 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.
Jay Miller, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2006 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 91 Points
One white wine is produced under the DeLille label. The 2006 Chaleur Estate Blanc is a blend of 61% Sauvignon Blanc and 39% Semillon. The wine goes through full malolactic fermentation with lees stirring. Medium straw-colored, it has an enticing bouquet of spring flowers, melon, and fresh herbs. Toasty, complex, and mouth-coating, this full-flavored wine could easily pass for a top Pessac-Leognan like Fieuzal. It can be enjoyed now and over the next several years.
Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, May 2008
2006 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 94 points
Rich and Smoky, this Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend delivers a nose suggesting golden raisins, ripe figs, white peaches and light streaks of butter, honey and caramel. The fruit and wood are balanced and the alcohol is a moderate 13.5%. Everything here is in proportion, layered, smooth and seductive. More than past vintages, this is a Chaleur Estate Blanc that seems destined to age and develop over the next decade or more.
The Seattle Times "Top 100 Washington Wines of 2007"
Paul Greggutt, Wine Adviser, December 19, 2007
DeLille Cellars 2006 Chaleur Estate Blanc | #8 of 100
Wine Enthusiast - TOP 100 WINES OF 2007
2005 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 94 Points | #14 or 100
A rich, golden, toasty, hedonistic wine. Ripe and loaded with gorgeous fruit: sweet citrus, pineapple, grapefruit, peach and stone fruit. As it moves through the palate it's laced with smoke and stone fruit. As it moves through the palate it's laced with smoke and toast, while the fruit. As it moves through the palate it's laced with smoke and toast, while the fruit core expands into marmalade and tupelo honey, and the wine grows unctous and creamy. Doesn't taste like a young wine, but it certainly will continue to round out and develop further in the bottle.
Top 100 Washington Wines 2006 - Paul Gregutt, Wine Adviser, December 2006
2005 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | Wine #12
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar
2005 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 92 Points
Good pale color. Pungent aromas of peach, apricot, honeysuckle and sexy oak spices. Wonderfully concentrated and dense, with enticing early sweetness for this bottling. Expressive, fruit-driven flavors of apricot, peach, spices, herbs and flowers. Offers a sneakily rich mouth feel but lovely balance keeps this fruit bomb light on its feet. I love the way the citric, herbal sauvignon combines with the richer dried fruit quality and plush texture of the semillon. Finishes very long and sweet. This bottling has been far more pliant in recent vintages, and is now one of a handful of elite Washington whites. www.wineaccess.com
Jay Miller, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2005 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 91 Points
It is composed of 79% Sauvignon Blanc and 21% Semillon, was raised in 100% new French oak, went through full malolactic, and aging sur-lie with bâtonnage. The result is a wine that could easily pass for a top Pessac-Léognan such as Fieuzal or Smith-Haut-Lafitte. Light gold-colored with a superb perfume of fresh herbs, melon, butterscotch, and spring flowers, this is followed by a plush wine with palate-coating flavors, excellent depth, and a long finish. This wine may evolve in the manner of a top white Bordeaux but it is difficult to resist now.
Dan Kravitz, September 2007
2005 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 96+ Points
This is great wine. The color is medium gold. The aromas are reticent but powerful, cactus flowers to the fore with a hint of fresh-mown grass and green herbs behind. On the palate the wine is noticeably intense, dense and lush, like a combination of Haut Brion Blanc, a great Cotat Sancerre and Ygrec. There are notes of honeydew, honeysuckle, quince and cactus flowers, just a hint of peppery spice like watercress to balance the richness. The finish is very, very long. This wine is glorious today. I don't know how it will age - I wish I had half a dozen more bottles to experiment with, to open with good friends, to cherish, to watch mature. I guess most of it goes to mailing list customers? What a glory! I honestly don't know of a better white wine made in the USA. Rated 96.64.
Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast Magazine
2004 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 94 points
A rich, golden, toasty, hedonistic wine. Ripe and loaded with gorgeous fruit: sweet citrus, pineapple, grapefruit, peach and stone fruit. As it moves through the palate it's laced with smoke and toast, while the fruit core expands into marmalade and tupelo honey,
and the wine grows unctuous and creamy. Doesn't taste like a young wine, but it certainly will continue to round out and develop further in the bottle.
Paul Gregutt, Seattle Times, Pacific Northwest Magazine
2004 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | Best of Washington
DeLille Cellars' Bordeaux blended white wine is consistently among the best in the country. Rich & buttery, just this side of unctuous, it is smoothly styled with lingering layers of citrus oils, stone fruits, melons and nuts.
Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast Magazine
2004 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 91 points
DeLille Cellars' Bordeaux blended white wine is consistently among the best in the country. Rich & buttery, just this side of unctuous, it is smoothly styled with lingering layers of citrus oils, stone fruits, melons and nuts. Big but not blowsy, broad yet still focused it weaves together seamlessly, layering in flavors right through the finish.
Pierre Rovani, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2004 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 90 points
Ordering DeLille Cellars' white Chaleur Estate in restaurants has become habit for me over the past couple of years, particularly when the sommelier is willing to decant it. The 2003 (consistently rated in the 90-91 range) has been my workhorse of late but I'm looking forward to the equally delicious 2004 Chaleur Estate Blanc (white). A blend of 58% Sauvignon Blanc and 42% Semillon, it has rich aromatics that offer notes of vanilla bean and melon balls. On the palate, this broad, medium-bodied effort displays outstanding depth of fruit and a silky texture. (Note: It should be served warmer than most whites). Dried honey, pears, apples and honeydew melon flavors are intermingled with spices in its complex personality. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.
Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast Magazine
2003 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 91 points
DeLille Cellars' Bordeaux blended white wine is the best of its type in Washington, if not on the entire West Coast. Broadly fruity yet nuance with notes of tangerine, citrus and melon, it adds hints of sweet hay, herb and toast to the complex mix. Excellent focus and weave makes for an unusually expressive white wine, which continues to develop new flavors right through the finish.
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar
2003 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 90 Points
Aromas of citrus skin and spicy, resiny, cherry oak, with a waxy lanolin quality from the semillon. Rich, broad and ripe, with unusual generosity of texture for this wine. Complex, fruit-driven flavors of lemon, orange, kiwi and spices. Very pliant and very long. Already attractive but capable of several years of development in bottle. www.wineaccess.com
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2002 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 89 points
Offers a honeyed nose of minerals, melon, and butter. Lush, satin-textured, and soft, this medium-bodied effort coats the palate with rich layers of creamed melons and almonds. Flavorful, armed with wonderful mouth-feel, it possesses a long, suave finish. Drink over the next 4-5 years.
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator
2001 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 88 points
Bright and juicy, with pretty tangerine and apple fruit that lasts impressively on the lively finish. Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator
1999 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc | 88 points
Rich in texture and spicy in flavor, a frankly barrel-fermented style that emphasizes the toasty, creamy aspects of oak over fruit, finding a harmony of lemon and spice as everything lingers nicely. Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Drink now.
