2015 Chaleur Estate

Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wines of 2018

The Red Mountain origin of this 2015 Chaleur Estate is instantly identifiable on the nose, with dried earth, crushed stone and Herbs de Provence supported by plum, cedar, pencil shavings and fennel seeds.  Reticent at first, this concentrated wine unwinds with surprising energy, restraint and tension, with dense black fruit and bakery spices elevated by buoyant pomegranate.  Displaying expansive tannic structure, decadent fruit, harmony and a prolonged finish, this wine guarantees rewards with patient cellaring.

Jeb Dunnuck for Jeb Dunnuck, April 2018:

While I always think of the Harrison Hill release as the Margaux in the lineup, the Chaleur is much more Pauillac/Saint Julien in style. The 2015 Chaleur Estate checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. It’s a full-bodied, deep, concentrated effort that offers terrific cassis and black cherry fruits, graphite, scorched earth, licorice, and crushed rock-like minerality. Like all the 2015s from DeLille, it has an elegant, pure, focused style and is beautifully balanced.