Doyenne Métier Blanc
Rand Sealey
Review of Washington Wines January 2010
www.reviewofwashingtonwines.com
2008 Doyenne Metier Blanc, Red Mountain
This 88% Viognier / 12% Roussanne white is more Rhone-like than most of its Washington counterparts. It shows an intense nose of pear, peach pit, butternut and a hint of orange peel. The stone fruit characteristics echo on the palate, rich, yet dry and well extracted, underlain with wet stone along with a twist of orange peel and a hint of almond.18.5/20 points.
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, NOV/DEC 09
2008 DeLille Estate Doyenne Metier Blanc Red Mountain
($32; 88% viognier with 12% roussanne) Honeysuckle and nectarine aromas. Juicy, crisp and dry-edged, with a peach flavor framed by firm acidity. Quite tightly wound and uncompromising today. The honeysuckle quality carries through in the mouth, giving this vibrant, primary wine plenty of sex appeal. But I'd still give it at least a year or two of cellaring. 91(+?) Pts.
Wine Enthusiast, Paul Gregutt, March 1, 2009 issue
90 Pts. Doyenne 2007 Métier Blanc – Red Mountain
The latest Métier is 100% Viognier, all from Ciel du Cheval on Red Mountain. The lack of Roussanne in the blend take away some subtle level of complexity, and this wine, though ripe and extracted and quite seductive, seems a bit one-dimensional. It’s a really, really good dimension however, with lush peachy fruit and generous dollops of vanilla cracker and toast.. --- P.G.
91 Pts - Jay Miller, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2005 Vintage)
The 2005 Métier Blanc is 70% Viognier from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard and 30% Chardonnay from the Cold Creek Vineyard. Medium straw-colored, it offers a lovely bouquet of melon, pear, lemon-lime, and pit fruits. This leads to a dry, ripe wine with crisp acidity. With excellent balance and length, it should pair well with Pacific Northwest seafood. Drink it over the next 1-2 years.
Zino Society - Paul Gregutt's Wine Picks
2006 Doyenne Métier Blanc
Newly released from Doyenne, the Rhone project of DeLille Cellars, are two wines called Métier. The 2006 Doyenne Métier White Wine is a Viognier blended with10% Roussanne – all from Red Mountain’s Ciel du Cheval vineyard. It’s a sleek, assertive and racy white wine, clean and crisp, with well-defined with flavors of citrus and green herb. It is built upon vibrant acids rather than barrel flavors, and in a blind tasting it might pass for a somewhat salty (rather than peppery) gruner veltliner.
-Paul Gregutt
92 Pts - Vintrust's Somm Selections - Alan Kropf, The Polo Lounge, Beverly Hills, CA
2006 Doyenne Métier Blanc
AROMA tightly wound but showing intense pear 13
FLAVOR herbs and citrus, tight and intense 13
STRUCTURE focused, rich; reminiscent of Bordeaux 14
LENGTH long and powerful, will be explosive 14
BALANCE excellent balance of power and fruit 38
DRINK: 2008-2016 92
This vintage of Métier Blanc is 90% and Viognier 10% Roussanne, both sourced from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard inthe Red Mountain appellation founded in 1992. DeLille Cellars is a small winery located in Woodinville and producing exceptional wines. (Winter 2007)
