2020 DeLille Cellars - Chaleur Estate Red Blend Yakima Valley (750ml)

DeLille Cellars was founded in 1992 in Woodinville, Washington by Chris Upchurch, Jay Soloff, and father and son Charles and Greg Lill, making it one of the state's pioneering Bordeaux-style producers. Chaleur Estate, first released in 1994, was the winery's inaugural bottling and remains the cornerstone on which its reputation for blending Washington fruit in an Old World idiom was built.

The 2020 vintage draws primarily from the 1982 Cabernet Sauvignon plantings at Ciel du Cheval on Red Mountain, long considered the backbone of this wine, complemented by Merlot from Dubrul Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. The finished blend, roughly 63 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a small portion of Petit Verdot, aged close to two years in French oak before bottling, building structure meant to reward extended cellaring.

On the nose, ripe marionberry and pomegranate mingle with fresh truffle and warm baking spice, while blueberry and maraschino cherry from the Merlot component round out the middle. The palate is full-bodied and tightly knit, offering cherry and red plum fruit framed by firm, fine-grained tannins and a long, evolving finish. Pair it with grilled lamb, braised short ribs, or a block of aged cheddar.