DeLille Cellars – Wine Snob

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Four Flags, Red Mountain) by DeLille Cellars, Woodinville, WA Dark opaque color. Tempered nose with blackberry, ripe plum skins up front. Wet hay/thatch and slightest touch of oak vanilla linger in the back. Swirling vigorously releases licorice, and intensifies the damp hay/thatch essence. Body is balanced on attack and quickly develops a slight creamy character. Big plum on the front gives way to black currants and a refined crisp caramel – so subtle you’d likely miss it – reminiscent of neutral French oak. Transition to finish is seamless leaving the palate dry with a crisp tannic grip. Delille Cellars puts out a veritable lineup of accessible wines that maintain a great sense of place. Their execution is clean, crisp and representative. If you are ever in Woodinville or the greater Seattle area, I highly recommend visiting their tasting room for a focused, guided, tasting. It’s a beautiful location that matches the wines perfectly! Nicely done Delille! Explore more Delille wines on WineSnob.

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Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Minuit (French for Midnight) by DeLille Cellars, Woodinville, WA 70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley Deep dark as midnight. Out of the bottle, nose is slightly shy, warm, with a healthy dose of ripe plums and blueberries which only intensify when swirled. A faint caramel butterscotch lingers in the back. Terroir is expressed in the form of a dusty silty leather, so subtle it could be missed. A faint anise makes an appearance in the distance. I briefly picked up very faint herbs. I like it! This is clearly a Malbec, very nicely complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon. After about an hour, the Anise is more intense and pronounced.

Body is absolutely gorgeous! Not as heavy as the color and nose would suggest. Balanced from front to back. It begins with a suggestion of acidity while ripe plums and blueberries rush in to balance it out. Slightly restrained tannins provide great structure while a very clean oak expression softens the edges, creating a clean plush mouth feel. This act quickly vanishes, giving way to thin blackberry and cola as it transitions to a finish characterized by crisp, dry tannic grip and a warm spice that descends down into the chest. There is a subtle freshness rendered on the palate like a mint-eucalyptus. My lips a left dry, yet moist. After an hour the tannins turn dusty and this texture permeates the entire experience. Now I remember what caught me about this wine when I visited them not long ago. Very nicely done DeLille! Explore more Delille wines on WineSnob.