From Quintessence to Minuit: Our Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Situated in the heart of Red Mountain lies a block of Quintessence Vineyard planted with two noble varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. In 2014, the team at DeLille Cellars sought to blend these lots, finding that when Malbec is reinforced with the additional structure and life of Cabernet Sauvignon, it creates a wine with a style all its own. The end result showed ripe mouth-watering acidity and tannins, with flavors of assorted berries, violets, earth, and black pepper spices. At 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, we were inspired to offer this deeply flavored blend as a single vineyard Red Mountain wine.

To say it stirred up new levels of passion in the winery is an understatement, and the reception it received through our wine club inspired us to seek out other vineyard sources to complement the blend from Quintessence. Red Willow vineyard, one of Washington State’s pioneering vineyards, grows exceptional Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Through our blending trials, our winemaking team created a blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon from both Quintessence (52%) and Red Willow (48%).  Finding an exceptional new wine with the combination of these two noble varietals and vineyard sites, the next task was to name this blend.  Minuit, or Midnight, is the time of day that delineates one day from the next, at once the beginning of something new and the end of a defined and fundamental cycle. This wine, black as night, embodies this notion: the conclusion of our journey in the vineyard and the cellar, and the beginning of discovering the wine’s potential in the bottle and in the glass. 

DeLille’s philosophy of seeking and discovery via blending trials in the cellar often lends way to the creation of new wines.  Some of this evolution comes as smaller lots garner such a following that they evolve into something even greater.  Our team’s dedication to quality and honoring the vineyard sites and varietals is always paramount.  Our seeking never stops, and as one wine might evolve and grow, there will always be another new wine, new lot, or new vineyard site ready to be explored and shared with our members. 

Shop the newly released 2019 vintage of Minuit here.