2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
93
2020 Four Flags
This has aromas of blackberries, graphite, black olives, cherry stones and violets. Fragrant and flavorful with a full body and firm, polished tannins. Delicious salty undertones to the black fruit. Long, too. Drink or hold.
James Suckling | APR 2023 | jamessuckling.com
95+
2020 Four Flags
All Cabernet Sauvignon from four sites (the Grand Ciel, Klipsun, Ciel du Cheval, and Upchurch vineyards), the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags reveals a deeper plum hue to go with a blacker fruited, concentrated, powerful Cabernet offering full-bodied richness, plenty of chocolaty oak, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s another seriously good wine from this estate.
Jeb Dunnuck | Jun 2023 | jebdunnuck.COM
95
2020 Four Flags
Coming from four vineyards—Upchurch, Grand Ciel, Klipsun and Ciel du Cheval—the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags begins with an oaky nose that is precise, focused and fresh. Aromas of black and dark red fruit tones sway with a delightfully dusty mineral essence and soft red florals. Full-bodied, fresh, firm and juicy, the palate offers a fine mineral tension and succulent acidity, while a polished frame of fruit cascades across the mid-palate before ending with a succulent, food-friendly finish and lingering tannic edge. Just under 19,000 bottles were produced after the wine aged for 20 months in all French oak, 82% first fill. Bravo!
Anthony Mueller | May 2023 | ROBERT PARKER WINE ADVOCATE
93
2020 Four Flags
Ripe dark-fruited character here, with sweet licorice, vanilla, cedar and wet stones. Refined and silky on the palate, with a seamless texture and fine-grained tannins. Mellow and creamy in the middle with rich dark-berry character. Lingering finish. Drink or hold.
James Suckling | APR 2023 | Jamessuckling.com
90
2020 Four Flags
Blackberry and marzipan aromas fail to prepare you for the tannic beast lurking behind the door. Despite a nice bit of acidity, a chewy mouthfeel makes you earn this wine’s blueberry, red apple, vanilla, wood spice and espresso flavors. This wine may just outlive Bitcoin. Enjoy 2024-2039.
Michael Alberty | APR 2023 | WINE ENTHUSIAST
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
93
2019 Four Flags
Density meets detail as this red slowly reveals structured currant, black olive and stony mineral accents, which build tension toward broad-shouldered tannins. Best from 2023 through 2033.
Tim Fish | Jun 2022 | WINE SPECTATOR
94
2019 Four Flags
A blend of four vineyards on Red Mountain, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags sports a ruby/plum color to go with terrific notes of red and black currants, spicy oak, dried flowers, and hints of tobacco. It has some classic Red Mountain minerality and chocolate on the palate, is medium to full-bodied, has beautiful tannins, and a great finish.
JEB DUNNUCK | Jul 2022 | JEBDUNNUCK.COM
93
2019 Four Flags
Blackberry, blackcurrant and black licorice on the nose. Full-bodied with very good depth and intensity. Firm tannins. Well structured with ripe fruit and crushed herbs coming in layers. A surprisingly fresh finish. Best after 2024.
James Suckling | APR 2022 | Jamessuckling.com
90
2019 Four Flags
The 2019 Four Flags impresses with a mix of wild blueberry, cooling smoke and rubbed sage. It soothes with its silky textures and ripe red and blue fruits, as a pleasant inner sweetness resonates, nicely complemented by zesty acidity. This finishes remarkably fresh with subtly grippy tannins that linger. The 2019 mixes vivid fruit, energy and power in a way that I find wildly appealing.
Eric Guido | Mar 2023 | VINOUS
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
90
2018 Four Flags
Taut and concentrated, with black currant, tobacco and dusky spice flavors that build toward grippy tannins. Needs time. Best from 2023 through 2031. 1,700 cases made.
Tim Fish | Jun 2022 | WINE SPECTATOR
93
2018 Four Flags
The pillars of this wine are top sites Ciel du Cheval (39%), Grand Ciel (30%), Upchurch (21%) and Klipsun (10%). Aromas of black currant, licorice, cocoa and spice are followed by action-packed dark-fruit flavors. This appellation’s intensity, structure and freshness are there in abundance. Yum. Editors’ Choice
Sean P. Sullivan | Oct 2021 | WINE ENTHUSIAST
94
2018 Four Flags
Already quite nicely evolved, the 2018 Four Flags evokes black tea, exotic spice and chocolate aromas alongside a great wall of dark fruits. Full-bodied and intense, with sagebrush and scorched earth undertones, this is drinking beautifully right now and will continue to cellar well for another 15 years – or more!
Owen Bargreen | Mar 2022 | VINOUS
96+
2018 Four Flags
All Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (78% new French oak), the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags showed brilliantly, offering a Pauillac-like nose of smoky red and blue fruits, lead pencil, and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and concentrated, it has lots of velvety tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great finish. It ranks with the top Cabernets from the appellation and is a stunning wine. Drink bottles over the coming 20-25 years.
JEB DUNNUCK | May 2021 | JEBDUNNUCK.COM
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
93
2017 Four Flags
This is a blend of fruit from Upchurch (30%), Ciel du Cheval (27%), Grand Ciel (24%) and Klipsun vineyards (19%). The aromas offer notes of sautéed dried herb, raspberry, dry chocolate and earth. Dense, fresh coffee and cherry flavors follow. It lingers on the finish, showing a pleasing sense of brightness. It drinks well now but seems to be immortal. Best after 2026.
Sean P. Sullivan | Dec 2020 | WINE ENTHUSIAST
92+
2017 Four Flags
Bright ruby-red. Brooding, very dark aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice pastille, bitter chocolate, crushed rock, herbs and violet. Penetrating, inky flavors of black and blue fruits, licorice pastille, herbs and minerals. This is very tightly wound and not yet showing its texture or sweetness. Finishes with firm but suave tannins and lovely building violety length. Very backward right now, even a bit tough and herbal, this Cabernet Sauvignon will need time in the cellar to express itself. My sample showed much more finesse of texture with extended aeration. (aged for 20 months in 100% new oak
Stephen Tanzer | Dec 2020 | VINOUS
95
2017 Four Flags
Four Flags brings together two of Red Mountain’s iconic vineyard sources, Klipsun and Ciel du Cheval, with two younger estates, Grand Ciel and Upchurch Vineyards. When first poured it feels like a Red Mountain brute: big, burly, a touch thick, quite possibly over the top. But air brings savory touches to all that fruited expanse, notes of violet, briar and green olive all serving to shine a light into the wine’s brooding depths. With a good acid lift and tannins, it will perform at its peak with an herb-rubbed steak.
Patrick J. Comiskey | Oct 2020 | WINE & SPIRITS
93+
2017 Four Flags
Made from a blend of the four vineyards on Red Mountain—the Ciel du Cheval, Grand Ciel, Klipsun and Upchurch vineyards—the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags has an even balance of mineral tension, freshness of fruit and elegant baking spices on the nose. Trying the other bottles of the range side by side, I can see the identity of the Four Flags, as each vineyard imparts flavors into the wine, like completing a puzzle to discover and display an image. Medium to full-bodied, the wine expresses blackberry skin, dusty red cherry, savory dried spices and elements of baked earth, with firm tannins across the mid-palate and ending with expressions of dried currants and crushed rocks. Almost 19,000 bottles produced. Give it another year or two before opening.
Anthony Mueller | OCT 2020 | Wine Advocate
90
2017 Four Flags
Opens with supple and expressive red currant, green olive and clove flavors, then shifts gears and takes on increasingly muscular yet polished tannins on the long finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2028.
Tim FIsh | SEP 2020 | WINE SPECTATOR
94
2017 Four Flags
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags comes from four separate vineyards on Red Mountain and is brought up mostly in new French oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by rock star notes of crème de cassis, toasted spices, lead pencil, crushed, and savory herbs. It’s beautiful on the palate as well and offers medium to full-bodied richness, impeccable balance, and a great finish. It will ideally be given 2-4 years of bottle age and will have two decades of overall longevity.
JEB DUNNUCK | APR 2020 | JEBDUNNUCK.COM
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
97
2016 Four Flags
One of the gems in the lineup is the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags. This thrilling, sensational Cabernet Sauvignon has a beautiful perfume of red currants, spice box, new leather, and dried flowers. Medium to full-bodied, seamless, and thrillingly textured, it offers balance, remarkable purity, and a finish that won’t quit. While Red Mountain is known for producing powerful, structured wines, this is all about finesse and elegance. It will drink nicely for two decades.
JEB DUNNUCK | APR 2019 | JEBDUNNUCK.COM
92+
2016 Four Flags
Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, licorice, black pepper and minerals on the nose. Densely packed, fine-grained and nicely concentrated but a bit youthfully unforthcoming today, showing limited sweetness and early appeal. I find this a bit peppery, if not lean, in the early going, with a distinct coolness in the style of some ’16s. Finishes savory and persistent, with a smooth dusting of tannins and some peppery herbs in a varietal way. Lay this one down.
Stephen Tanzer | DEC 2019 | Vinous.com
94
2016 Four Flags
Named for the four famous vineyards on Red Mountain, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags immediately shows power and elegance on the nose, with a fresh core of fruit and minerality, showcasing rich and velvety oak tones. The wine is rich and complex on the medium to full-bodied palate that’s overflowing and expressive, with good depth and breadth, balanced tannins and the lifting support of oak spices and energetic acidity. It lingers long, with a tannic edge that will settle down with time, making it ready for food now. Only 1,500 bottles were produced. I recommend securing some for yourself before they are all gone!
Anthony Mueller | DEC 2019 | Wine Advocate
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
94
2015 Four Flags
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags reveals an attractive bouquet of cassis, black plums, dark chocolate, warm spices and loamy soil that has already nicely integrated its 100% new oak. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a chassis of rich, fine-grained but firm tannins, good concentration and a long, youthfully firm finish. This is very impressive and an appreciable step up above the D2 this year. It will demand several years of bottle age and enjoy two decades of longevity, perhaps more.
WILLIAM KELLEY | Jun 2018 | 237, THE WINE ADVOCATE
94
2015 Four Flags
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags comes from the top four vineyards in any vintage and in 2015 is 30% Grand Ciel, 30% Upchurch, 25% Ciel du Cheval, and the rest from Klipsun. It’s a rich, powerful wine that offers boatloads of ripe black cherries, crushed violets, incense, and Asian spice aromatics. Rich, full-bodied, supple, and impressively concentrated, it shows the ripe yet focused/elegant style of the vintage.
JEB DUNNUCK | APR 2018 | JEBDUNNUCK.COM
94
2015 Four Flags
Three of the last four vintages of Delille’s Four Flags have earned this score. A blend of Klipsun, Ciel du Cheval, Grand Ciel and DeLille’s own vineyard, Upchurch, it’s massive, to be sure, but possesses a compelling spice that accompanies the fruit, a waft of mint and pine and oak. The flavors feel generous and loose, with a tannic structure gathering them like a nylon net. This is ready for drinking with something meaty, like a porterhouse, or cellar it to let it mellow. (1,925 cases)
OCT 2018 | WINE & SPIRITS
93+
2015 Four Flags
(from vines up to 40 years of age in Klipsun, Grand Ciel, Ciel du Cheval and Upchurch vineyards): Bright ruby-red. Musky aromas of dark raspberry, mocha and black pepper. Boasts lovely clarity and thickness of fruit, with serious intensity to its flavors of dark berries, bitter chocolate and cocoa powder. Wonderfully suave, classy wine with fine-grained tannins and outstanding rising length. And pliant from the start; this wine can be drunk even now without pain. “Like a Chave version of Cabernet Sauvignon from four different soils on four hills in close proximity,” noted executive winemaker Chris Upchurch. Incidentally, DeLille Cellars did not make a Shaw Cabernet in 2015; this juice went into the D2 bottling.
Stephen Tanzer | Nov 2018 | Vinous.com
92
2015 Four Flags
Refined and well-structured, with multilayered currant, stony mineral and tobacco notes that take on definition toward well-groomed tannins. Best from 2020 through 2029. 2,000 cases made.
TIM FISH | JUL 2019 | WINE SPECTATOR
91
2015 Four Flags
This wine is a blend of fruit from Grand Ciel (30%), Upchurch (30%), Ciel du Cheval (26%) and Klipsun vineyards. Its vibrant aromas of bittersweet chocolate, graphite, coffee, black cherries, black raspberries and barrel spices lead to a palate packed to the brim with dark fruit flavors. Its supported by a firm handshake of tannin.
Sean P. Sullivan | Sep 2018 | WINE Enthusiast
2019 |
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
94
2014 Four Flags
Much less tannic from bottle than from barrel, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags comes from four different vineyards on Red Mountain: Grand Ciel (42%), Upchurch (31%), Ciel du Cheval (19%) and Klipsun (8%). It shows the vintage’s more forward, charming style with its full-bodied, rich, textured style, yet it firms up considerably on the finish. Possessing lots of graphite, toasted spice, currants and black raspberry aromatics, I love its purity and balance. It’s best today with a decant, but it should be in its finest from 2020-2034.
Jeb Dunnuck | Jun 2017 | 231, The Wine Advocate
93
2014 Four Flags
This 100% varietal wine is a blend of fruit from Grand Ciel (42%), Upchurch (31%), Ciel du Cheval (19%) and Klipsun vineyards. Wound-up aromas of black cherry and barrel spice are followed by pitch-black-fruit flavors, with the tannins combed to a fine sheen. It flat out impresses.
Sean P. Sullivan | Jun 2017 | WINE Enthusiast
92+
2014 Four Flags
Bright ruby-red. Precise aromas of cassis, violet, licorice and wild herbs convey a hint of positive greenness. Plush and sweet, if not with quite the definition of the Shaw Cabernet. In a more savory, less fruity style with lovely spicy, herbal lift and subtle sweetness, but this very youthful, backward wine needs time. Less hedonistic than the Shaw, especially as its tannins build with aeration.
Stephen Tanzer | Oct 2017 | Vinous.com
91
2014 Four Flags
Rich fruit pairs with a sturdy, complex structure, offering smoky black cherry and mocha spice accents that linger toward taut tannins. Drink now through 2024. 2,250 cases made.
Tim Fish | Jul 2017 | WINE SPECTATOR
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
95
2013 Four Flags
Up there with the incredible 2012, yet in a more focused, tight, backwards style, the inky colored 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags comes from four separate vineyards (Klipsun, Grand Ciel, Ciel du Cheval and Upchurch) and exhibits classic Red Mountain characteristics of black fruit, smoked herbs, licorice, graphite and dusty minerality on the nose. Possessing serious intensity, full-bodied richness, ripe, yet present tannin and a fabulous finish, it needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years, and it will drink beautifully through 2038.
Jeb Dunnuck | Jun 2016 | 225, The Wine Advocate
94
2013 Four Flags
Four Flags is drawn from four Red Mountain vineyards: Ciel du Cheval, Grand Ciel, Klipsun and DeLille’s own Upchurch vineyard. With those notable sources, it’s pretty big stuff, but there’s a brightness of tone piercing through the weighty blue gloaming that gives the wine its personality and charm. The blue-fruited flavors are dark and concentrated, but also tailored, round and comfortable. This needs to rest in the cellar; then decant it for a New York strip. (2,460 cases)
DEC 2016 | WINE & SPIRITS
93
2013 Four Flags
(made with fruit from Grand Ciel, Ciel du Cheval, Upchurch and Klipsun vineyards; 70% new oak): Deep ruby-red. Aromas of cassis, licorice and crushed rock, plus a very ripe suggestion of plum brandy that winemaker Chris Upchurch says is from the Klipsun fruit. Wonderfully dense, fine-grained and broad, combining Latour-like saline, gravel and graphite notes with the vibrant blueberry and mineral aspect of Ciel du Cheval. Seriously structured, sharply focused, very pure wine with lovely floral lift and elegance. Finishes with sweet tannins and outstanding breadth.
Stephen Tanzer | Nov 2016 | Vinous.com
91
2013 Four Flags
Firm and chewy, with a green olive edge to the black cherry and rose petal flavors, coming together harmoniously against formidable tannins on the finish. Has presence and grace. Best from 2017 through 2023. 2,500 cases made.
HARVEY STEIMAN | Sep 2016 | WINE SPECTATOR
90
2013 Four Flags
A blend of Cabernet from Grand Ciel (31%), Ciel du Cheval (30%), Upchurch (28%) and Klipsun (11%) vineyards, wood spice aromas start out up front. The cherry flavors are light and elegant, with the tannins bringing some grip.
Sean P. Sullivan | May 2016 | WINE Enthusiast
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
96
2012 Four Flags
The limited production 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags is an off-the-hook effort. Decadent, layered, unctuous and rich, with classic Cabernet notes of blackcurrants, chocolate, lead pencil, crushed rock and graphite, this awesome 2012 hits the palate with full-bodied richness, no hard edges, a stacked, rich, concentrated mid-palate, and loads of sweet tannin that are almost completely hidden under all of the wine’s fruit and texture. Given the wealth of material here, it’s already hard to resist, but don’t let that fool you, this has the balance, concentration and structure to keep for 2-3 decades. It’s a sensational Cabernet from this team that should not be missed.
Jeb Dunnuck | Jun 2015 | 219, The Wine Advocate
94
2012 Four Flags
Classic cabernet scents lead in this Red Mountain red—violets, sage, a whiff of cedar—all of it so beguiling you’ll just want to hover over the glass for several minutes. But the flavors are just as impressive, not for their power and their weight, but for their movement as well. The wine feels monumental, and yet it has the lift and kinetic energy to make it a thrill to taste. Decant it and serve with leg of lamb. (1,450 cases)
DEC 2015 | WINE & SPIRITS
93
2012 Four Flags
(14% alcohol; from Klipsun, Grand Ciel, Ciel du Cheval and Upchurch vineyards): Dark ruby-red. Knockout nose combines spicy red and black fruits, tobacco, minerals and black pepper, plus a complicating medicinal aspect. Delivers outstanding concentration and a fine-grained texture, showing lovely floral lift and a classic juicy Red Mountain Cabernet character. The tannins communicate an impression of finesse but this wine is nonetheless still tight on the back end. Combines the “plum brandy of Klipsun, the Latour-like focus of Grand Ciel, blueberries and minerals from Ciel, and the floral character of Upchurch,” according to Chris Upchurch.
Stephen Tanzer | Nov 2015 | Vinous.com
92
2012 Four Flags
A blend of top vineyards Ciel du Cheval (28%), Upchurch (26%), Grand Ciel (25%) and Klipsun, this 100% varietal wine is aromatically reserved with notes of café au lait, black currant, dusty chocolate and fresh herbs. Fruit flavors are concentrated and rich with firm tannins that will benefit from additional time in the bottle. Best after 2017.
SEAN P. SULLIVAN | MAr 2015 | WINE ENTHUSIAST
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
94
2011 Four Flags
Even better, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags is 100% Cabernet that comes from Red Mountain and is a mix from the Upchurch, Grand Ciel, Ciel du Cheval and Klipsun vineyards. Aged 20 to 22 months in French oak, it offers a full-bodied, elegant, yet classically styled profile to go with notions of cassis, black raspberry, lead pencil shavings and dried spices that show on both the nose and palate. Concentrated and rich, with excellent mid-palate density and building tannin, it nevertheless stays seamless, elegant and perfectly balanced. Give it 2-3 years in the cellar and drink it over the following 10 to 15 years.
Jeb Dunnuck | Jun 2014 | 213, The Wine Advocate
93+
2011 Four Flags
(100% Cabernet Sauvignon): Bright ruby-red. Cassis and blueberry aromas are complemented by wild herbs and toasty oak. Deeper than the D2, showing outstanding density and focus to its dark fruit, olive tapenade, Asian spice and iron flavors. Wonderfully pliant and vibrant wine, with extremely suave tannins spreading out to saturate the palate on the very long finish. A classically structured, outstanding wine in the making, this will be better for five years in the cellar.
Stephen Tanzer | Dec 2014 | Vinous.com
91
2011 Four Flags
This recent addition to the lineup at DeLille blends Cabernet from Klipsun, Ciel du Cheval, Grand Ciel and Upchurch vineyards. It’s a fine effort, structured like the scaffolding on a high-rise building, narrow and vertical, with a spine of steel and a core of cassis. Firm acidity completes the picture.
SEAN P. SULLIVAN | Jul 2014 | WINE ENTHUSIAST
91
2011 Four Flags
Sandy tannins underlie the ripe cherry, tobacco and coffee flavors, wrapping around the focused finish that turns toward plum and spice details. This has depth and persistence. Best from 2016 through 2021. 1,010 cases made.
Harvey Steiman | DEC 2014 | WINE SPECTATOR
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
94
2010 Four Flags
A mailing-club-only offering and textbook Cabernet Sauvignon on the nose, with black currant, cedar, lead pencil, wild herbs and sweet oak, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 1 Four Flags (100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain) is gorgeous! Full-bodied, seamless and beautifully concentrated, this knockout 2010 has a voluptuousness that’s backed up by superb underlying tannic grip. As with all of Chris’ wines, this has the polish and texture to shine now, yet I still recommend short-term cellaring and a 12-15+ year drink window isn’t out of the question. Drink 2016-2025.
Jeb Dunnuck | Jun 2013 | 207, The Wine Advocate
93
2010 Four Flags
Aromas of blueberry, cigar box and lavender. Highly concentrated, supple and sweet, with a slight youthful aggressiveness to the densely packed dark berry and cocoa powder flavors. The very long finish features a serious tannic spine and a note of bitter chocolate.
Stephen Tanzer | Nov 2013 | Vinous.com