DeLille Cellars has a special spot in my heart, which is a bold statement as a woman who has judged hundreds of wines over the past decade.
DeLille is well known as one of the founding wineries to put blending on the map in the Pacific Northwest – specifically using Bordeaux-style blends. (Bordeaux is a region in France that makes some of the most age-worthy and expensive wines in the world.)
Having judged samples from all across Idaho, Oregon, B.C. and our home state, I must admit, this winery has been consistently superior in quality, balance and execution. Naturally, this is the choice for early summer wine adventures, and beyond.
Among many other options, here are some tasting notes and pairing suggestions for your reading pleasure:
Tasting notes: The nose offers gooseberry, kiwi, blood orange and grapefruit framed in clover. On the palate: strawberries and honeydew melon are balanced with granny smith apples and a key lime finish.
Pairing suggestion: Roasted parsnip purée, mushroom soup, watermelon-feta salad and rotisserie chicken.
Song pair: “Where is the Love?” by Black Eyed Peas
Tasting notes: Scents of fresh coffee, carob tree, cucumber-melon lotion and mild cannabis introduce a palate of eucalyptus, cranberry sauce and allspice.
Pairing suggestion: Barbecue ribs, demi-glace, roasted root vegetables and Délice de Bourgogne (triple-churned cheese).
Song pair: “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons
Tasting notes: Ripe apricot, candied ginger, and peach nectar scents lead way to a bright palate of starfruit, flint and mandarin.
Pairing suggestion: Seared scallops, lobster bisque, peaches and cream, and strawberry-rhubarb pie.
Song pair: "Take Five" by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Tasting notes: Maple, bacon, pine shavings and cherry cola on the nose, followed by blackberry, cinnamon stick, tri-colored peppercorn, fig and green pepper on the palate.
Pairing suggestion: Beef bourguignon, beer-broth mussels, collard greens and chocolate torte.
Song pair: “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones
Tasting notes: Inky aromas with smashed blackberries, star anise, mint and cured meats precede a structured mouthfeel of black licorice, caramel and an earthy black plum-cinnamon finish.
Pairing suggestion: Stuffed bell peppers, humus, Humboldt fog goat cheese and black forest cake.
Song pair: “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver
Tasting notes: Cherry cola, rye toast, campfire, spent coffee grounds and chocolate tickle the nose before a luscious palate of sweeter maple, forest floor, teriyaki jerky and Cinnamon Toast Crunch slide to a brown butter-caramel finish.
Pairing suggestion: Rosemary butter tri-tip, sweet potato purée, beet salad, fire-roasted portobello burger and bread pudding.
Song pair: “Heal the World” by Michael Jackson
The story of this winery starts with three dudes, now prominent names in the wine world:
Jay Soloff, Chris Upchurch, and Greg Lill. The trio concocted a dream and presented it to Greg’s father, Charles, who hails from Europe and thought anything income-generating and fermented sounded like a good idea. After Charles shared the business plan and voted with his family, they launched DeLille Cellars, and their very first wine scored an impressive 92 points. They have since gone on to garner over 900 90-plus point scores for their wine as well as other high profile accolades, as the winery celebrated its 30-year mark in 2022.
Since Washington’s growing conditions align most favorably with the Bordeaux region, duplicating their blending and traditional winemaking practices became popular in the Pacific Northwest. Now, you will find the largest (or second-to-largest) category for entrants in wine competitions for this area are blends.Nestled in the heart of Woodinville, DeLille Cellars sources grapes from some of the most prestigious vineyards in the region, including its own Grand Ciel Vineyard on Red Mountain.
Being only two hours from Whatcom County, it would be a wonderful day trip and worth the ride to taste some of the best wine our state has to offer.
You can also purchase directly from the DeLille Cellars website at delillecellars.com.
Amberleigh Brownson is a local wine writer, consultant, sommelier and assistant winemaker for GLM Winery. She is also a 10-year wine judge and four-time Wine Spectator award winner.
