DeLille Cellars Blog

The Best of Bordeaux - 2022 Auction of Washington Wine Lot

In 2018, DeLille Cellars’ Tour of Bordeaux auction lot received the highest bid ever recorded in the 31-year history of Auction of Washington Wines. The package included access to some of Frances’ renowned Grand Cru wineries such as Chateaux Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion, and Château Lafite Rothschild. 

Now, six years later, the Woodinville winery is bringing back this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the 2022 Auction of Washington Wines. The ‘Best of Bordeaux Trip’ features five nights at a Bordeaux Chateau touring the best of France’s famous wine region.

The Best of Bordeaux 2022 Auction Lot

Five-night trip for two couples June 18-22, 2023

Tour renowned French Chateaux in Bordeaux with Chris Upchurch, Founding Winemaker of DeLille Cellars, and his wife Thea Upchurch, and feast on culinary creations from a Seattle area chef on this four-day, five-night adventure in France. 

You will have access to some of France’s Grand Cru wineries, including a tour, tasting, and lunch at Château Haut-Brion and visits to Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Margaux.

The trip will also include stops to Château Pétrus, Château Le Pin, and Château Léoville Las Cases. Rounding out the journey will be a day trip to Sauternes to visit one of the most renowned sites in all of France, Château d’Yquem, a Premier Cru Supérieur. 

The Pool at La Mouleyre

Throughout the trip, you will visit some of Chris’ favorite towns and sites in this historic wine region. In the evenings, enjoy a 17th Century Chateau near Saint-Émilion with Chris and Thea Upchurch and Chef where wine and food will be paramount. You will be delighted with locally sourced and inspired dinners from the charming markets in the region. Chris is known for his culinary skills as well, and is sure to join in on the culinary efforts! 

You will stay at La Mouleyre, a stunning Chateau built in 1602 on 3 acres of beautiful grounds surrounded by some of the world-famous vineyards of Saint-Émilion. The winner of this package will also take home a large format of DeLille Cellars for each couple.

2022 Auction Lot Includes*: 

Visits to the following

• Five night’s accommodations at La Mouleyre, a stunning Chateau built in 1602 

• Tours and tastings through Bordeaux and Sauternes, led by Chris and Thea Upchurch

• Large format DeLille Cellars wine for each couple

• Château Pétrus 

• Château Le Pin

• Château Léoville Las Cases 

• Château Margaux 

• Wine tasting at Château Lafite Rothschild

• Lunch, tour and tasting at Château Haut-Brion

• Lunch, tour and tasting at La Mission Haut Brion

• Day trip to Sauternes, Château d’Yquem

​*The Itinerary is subject to change based on chateau arrangements

Stay at Chateaux La Mouleyre, built in 1602

Attend the Auction of Washington Wines Gala

Saturday, August 13th | 4:30pm -10:30pm | Chateau Ste. Michelle

Join Auction of Washington Wines at the 35th-anniversary gala to bid on the Best of Bordeaux auction lot. The gala will be held on August 13th at Chateau Ste. Michelle, one of Washington's oldest wineries. The evening will feature a social hour with a mini-barrel auction, chef-prepared savory bites, Washington wine tasting bars, and more!

Can't join but are interested in bidding? Please contact the Auction of Washington Wines  

About DeLille Cellars

DeLille Cellars is the third oldest operating winery in Woodinville, WA, founded in 1992. Known for pioneering Bordeaux-style blends from Washington State, the winery has maintained a tradition of quality and excellence with over 700 individual 90+ ratings from leading publications. DeLille Cellars focuses on the Red Mountain AVA and sources grapes from Washington’s most acclaimed vineyards. The winery is recognized by notable wine critics and influencers, including Robert Parker, as one of the top producers in the state.

Celebrate Drink Up Week at DeLille Cellars

Join DeLille Cellars in celebrating the first ever Drink Up Week! The week-long event celebrates anything you can drink: from wine and cocktails to coffee and tea. Visit our Woodinville Tasting Room and The Lounge restaurant for special offers July 25th-31st.

Tasting Room

Mention “Drink Up Week” at your tasting reservation at DeLille Cellars July 25-31 and get a special taste of our first sparkling wine, Forget-Me-Not.

Bubbles are what initially brought the founders of DeLille together in the late 1980s before the winery was formally founded.  Happily, they have made a return!  The 2020 Forget-Me-Not’s firm acid and linear style make it a perfect aperitif with our Pacific Northwest summer fare, with pleasant notes of Asian pear, honeysuckle, green apple, and crushed stone.  The effervescence hits the palate broadly and becomes more delicate over time in the glass, with a pronounced minerality and hints of citrus rind that dance on the palate.

The Lounge

Visit The Lounge at DeLille Cellars and try two new cocktails: The Butterfly Effect and the Purple Paradise ($15 each). The Lounge will also be pouring Forget-Me-Not sparkling wine ($14/glass).

The Butterfly Effect (left) and Purple Paradise (right)

The Butterfly Effect

2 oz. The Butterfly Cannon Blue Tequila

3/4 oz. Simple Syrup

3/4 oz. Lemon Juice

3/4 oz. Egg White

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and “dry” shake 30-45 seconds vigorously.  Add ice to shaker and continue to shake vigorously.  Double strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with lemon wheel and butterfly pea blossoms. 

The Purple Paradise

2 oz. Empress Gin

1 oz. Pomegranate Juice

1/2 oz. Orange Liqueur

1/2 oz. Lime Juice

1/2 oz. Simple Syrup

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake to chill.  Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Top with club soda. Garnish with lime wheel.

About DeLille Cellars

DeLille Cellars is the third oldest operating winery in Woodinville, WA, founded in 1992. Known for pioneering Bordeaux-style blends from Washington State, the winery has maintained a tradition of quality and excellence with over 700 individual 90+ ratings from leading international critics. DeLille Cellars focuses on the Red Mountain AVA and sources grapes from Washington's most acclaimed vineyards. The winery is recognized by notable wine critics and influencers, including Robert Parker, as one of the top producers in the state. In 2019, DeLille Cellars moved all operations to the old Redhook Brewery in Woodinville.

DeLille Cellars Releases 2021 Vintage of Chaleur Blanc

This week, DeLille Cellars released the new 2021 vintage of Chaleur Blanc, a beloved Washington wine. The Bordeaux-style blend has been a favorite among wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and collectors for over two decades. Wine critic Stephen Tanzer remarked, “it is no exaggeration to compare this Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blend to the finest white Bordeaux bottlings made in oak”. He described the blend as an “utterly distinctive wine for Washington in terms of its texture, purity, complexity, savory character, and ageability”.

The 25th vintage (2019) was awarded Seattle Time’s Northwest Wine of the Year and named “one of the top Bordeaux white blends from the New World” by critic Jeb Dunnuck. The wait for Chaleur Blanc’s annual release is over - purchase your bottle online or visit us in Woodinville to taste and celebrate the release of this influential blend.

Celebrate The Release at our Woodinville Tasting Room

Celebrate the release of the 2021 vintage at our Woodinville Tasting Room, located at the Old Redhook Brewery. Guests will enjoy a side-by-side tasting of the 2021 vintage alongside the 2019 vintage from Thursday, July 14th through Sunday, July 17th.

2021 Chaleur Blanc

The 2021 Chaleur Blanc showcases Sauvignon Blanc in its youth, presenting a beautiful pale yellow color with hints of green and aromas of golden hay, grapefruit, and a whisper of tropical fruit.  Six months of aging in French oak contributes alluring aromas of forest floor, chocolate mint and savory baked brioche.  Fresh white peach fruit flavors combine with thyme on the palate, with a wonderful round presence from the cooperage. Although moderate for acidity versus recent vintages, there is plenty of energy to this wine, promising enjoyment for at least a decade.

Vineyard Breakdown: 

• 31% Boushey Vineyard 
• 30% Sagemoor Vineyard
• 27% Klipsun Vineyard
• 8% Phinney Hill Vineyard
• 4% Conner Lee Vineyard

2019 Chaleur Blanc - 25th Vintage

This energetic, canary yellow wine presents a complex nose with aromas of grapefruit, golden hay, lemon zest, petrichor and pastry dough.  2019 Chaleur Blanc offers fresh fruit flavors of apricot and white peach on the palate, deliciously balanced with savory herb notes of basil and tarragon.  This vintage is well proportioned throughout, with integrated barrel notes and the cuvée’s traditional crisp acidity. Read reviews from James Suckling, Steven Tanzer, and more critics here. 

Visit The Lounge Restaurant for Special Pairings All Weekend

In addition to comparative tastings at the Tasting Room, The Lounge restaurant will offer special pairings throughout the weekend. Lounge Executive Chef Michael C. Toni has partnered with DeLille for nearly two decades catering private events and wine release dinners. Chef Toni also curated countless food and wine pairings during the COVID-19 closure and is preparing something special for the 2021 Chaleur Blanc release.

Enjoy Chaleur Blanc at Home: Pairing Suggestions

Can’t make it into Woodinville? Enjoy your own Chaleur Blanc dinner pairing at home. 

Recommended Pairings:

• Pan-Seared Scallops with Deconstructed Guacamole

• Arugula-based Salads

• Asparagus Risotto

• English Pea Ravioli with Crab or Lobster

• Yellowtail Sushi, Cod, Halibut, or Shellfish

History of the Acclaimed White Bordeaux-Blend

DeLille Cellars pioneered two red Bordeaux-style blends for its first vintage in 1992, Chaleur Estate and D2. These wines were produced with a focus on Red Mountain and showcasing the premier fruit of acclaimed vineyards in the Columbia Valley. In 1994, DeLille crafted another Bordeaux blend, Harrison Hill, from a historic vineyard located in the Snipes Mountain AVA, a sub-appellation of Yakima Valley, which itself is a sub-appellation of the larger Columbia Valley.

With three red blends gaining international notoriety from key critics, including Robert Parker Jr., the winery sought its next feat of French inspiration via white wine. California Chardonnay was already saturating the market, and DeLille Founding Winemaker Chris Upchurch knew the winery had a calling to produce the first white Bordeaux-style blend in Washington State. 

What better place to learn than the most prominent old-world wineries in Bordeaux? Upchurch and Co-Founder Jay A. Soloff set off on a journey to France, seeking wisdom and experience from world-renowned wineries such as Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion, and Château Bellegrave. Read more about the founders’ journey and Chaleur Blanc history here. 

About DeLille Cellars

DeLille Cellars is the third oldest operating winery in Woodinville, WA, founded in 1992. Known for pioneering Bordeaux-style blends from Washington State, the winery has maintained a tradition of quality and excellence with over 700 individual 90+ ratings from leading publications. DeLille Cellars focuses on the Red Mountain AVA and sources grapes from Washington’s most acclaimed vineyards. The winery is recognized by notable wine critics and influencers, including Robert Parker, as one of the top producers in the state.