2012 DeLille Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Ciel
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Tasting notes
(14% alcohol; entirely from a single block of 191 clone planted in 2000): Bright medium red. Deep aromas of cassis, black plum, minerals and licorice complicated by noble herbs and lifted by a violet topnote. Intensely flavored and perfumed but quite tight in the early going, conveying an exhilarating impression of weightlessness. The dark fruit flavors are complemented by notes of bitter chocolate and licorice. Already smooth but youthfully clenched. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins. Less generous and sweet than the Chaleur Estate Red Wine but this is still a baby.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
A wine that's rounded out beautifully since I tasted it in barrel, the 2012 Grand Ciel is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a great vineyard in one of the top terroirs in Washington: Red Mountain. Sporting a dense, opaque ruby color, it offers rocking notes of blackcurrants, espresso, graphite, and chocolate that continue to change with time in the glass. While there's plenty of oak here, it's nicely integrated, and there's no shortage of fruit or freshness. Full-bodied, layered, plush and beautifully concentrated, it needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for two decades or more.