2016 De Lille Cellars Syrah Signature Yakima Valley
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Tasting notes
Showing even better from bottle than barrel, the 2016 Syrah Signature comes from a mix of Yakima Valley sites and includes 2% Viognier. This brilliant effort reveals a deep purple hue to go with gorgeous blueberry and blackberry fruits as well as notes of lavender, ground pepper, and hints of violets. It’s seamless, medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and just a stunning Syrah that does everything right. Don’t miss it. What I would consider a Washington State First Growth, Delille Cellars produces both incredible quality as well as quantity, pulling from vineyards throughout the state of Washington. This is always one of my favorite tastings in Washington, and given that they pull from sites throughout the state, it’s a great way to learn about a given vintage. The winemaking team has been headed up by Jason Gorski for a number of years now and they continue to fashion a classic, balanced style of wine that has plenty of fruit as well as balanced, age-worthy profiles. They excel with both their Bordeaux varieties and their Rhones. Looking at the 2017s reviewed here, these show the more elegant, streamlined style of the vintage nicely and have plenty of site-specific characters. I think these check in behind the 2016s, but they are certainly terrific wines. The 2018, most of which were tasted from barrel, also have plenty of elegance and purity, and I think will be in the same ballpark, if not a step up over the 2017s. Either way, these are terrific wines across the board, and you can’t go wrong here. In addition to the reds, which get all the attention, don’t miss the whites from this estate. They’re unquestionably up with the best of the state.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Bright, medium ruby-red. Aromas of crushed blackberry, violet and red licorice. At once suave and penetrating, with its savory flavors of black raspberry and spices delivering terrific mid-palate energy and lift. Fine-grained but not quite silky owing to its sheer verve, but then this Syrah still needs a year or two of additional cellaring. Just a hint of black pepper here but little in the way of varietal gaminess--and no easy sweetness. The tactile, slowly rising finish features a fine dusting of ripe tannins. (20% new oak, mostly barriques but also a few 350- and 500-liter barrels; entirely destemmed; 3.75 pH)
The 2016 Syrah Signature, with 2% Viognier blended in, has a nose of resinous purple flowers and dense blackberry purée, with a concentration of spice and fruit. Full-bodied, the palate is rich and full of generous mineral tones that persist onto the lingering yet tight and spicy finish. This is a delicious bottle of wine. Only 350 cases were made.
The 2016 Doyenne is the Provence-styled red of the estate and checks in as a 60/40 split of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, all from Red Mountain. This red, sexy beauty offers full-bodied notes of crème de cassis, crushed violets, lavender, and graphite. It has terrific purity and balance, ample character, and is certainly an outstanding wine.