Our favorite Washington white, DeLille Cellars Chaleur Blanc, is celebrating an historic milestone this year — its 25th vintage. Indeed, DeLille Cellars is releasing this classic white blend today at a special price of $25 through July 14. After that date, this acclaimed white wine will retail for $35. Adorned with a commemorative label, 2019 Chaleur Blanc is a beautiful blend of Sauvignon Blanc (69%) and Sémillon (31%) crafted in the tradition of Bordeaux white wine. We highly recommend it, and here’s why.

History of DeLille Cellars Chaleur Blanc

First, this wine is historic. Founded in 1992, DeLille Cellars initially pioneered two red Bordeaux-style blends, D2 and Chaleur Estate Rouge. Three years later, the winery created its first white, Chaleur Blanc. This wine was inspired by a trip to Bordeaux, and a meeting between DeLille’s founding winemaker Chris Upchurch and famed winemaker Paul Pontallier of Château Margaux. (We have been longtime fans of Château Margaux, and spent time there 15 years ago.)

“A quarter century of crafting this wine is a significant milestone for DeLille,” said Director of Winemaking Jason Gorski. “Chaleur Blanc is an incredibly complex program, and it’s no secret that it is my favorite wine to make in the cellar. When you blend over 200 individual lots together and get such harmony in the glass, it feels a bit miraculous.”

DeLille Cellars 2019 Chaleur Blanc (25th Vintage)

Second, as mentioned, DeLille Cellars Chaleur Blanc is our favorite white wine in Washington state, year over year. But we aren’t the only ones who feel that way. Renowned wine critic Stephen Tanzer describes it as “the single finest white wine produced in Washington state.” Wine critic Jeb Dunnuck goes even further, calling Chaleur Blanc “one of the top Bordeaux white blends from the New World.”

In addition, the Sunset International Wine Competition just awarded this new vintage “97 points, Double Gold, and Best of Class.”

So it’s no surprise that we love this elegant, clean, crisp and textured wine. It offers complexity, balance, structure, nuanced minerality and brilliant acidity, with rich, deep layers of spice, grapefruit, citrus, stone fruit and fig flavors.

Chaleur Blanc pairs well with a wide variety of food, including sushi, smoked salmon, scallops, salads, chicken and pork. It also works well with a cheese platter, regardless of whether the cheese is hard, soft, mild or stinky.

Winemaker Jason Gorski says he will be “celebrating (this milestone) with my favorite pairing, fresh Dungeness crab.” We enjoyed it with lemon-garlic halibut barbecued on a cedar plank. Oh my, it was a heavenly pairing.

Furthermore, if you purchase three or more bottles of this extraordinary white (or any of DeLille’s magnificent wines), you are eligible for penny shipping.

In summary, DeLille Cellars 2019 Chaleur Blanc is a standout! Thank you, DeLille, for the sample. We just put in an order to purchase more of this knockout 25th vintage. We know it will sell out quickly!

Cheers!
Margot and Dave