2016 De Lille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
68% Sauvignon Blanc, 32% Sémillon. Rounder aromas of peach and nectarine along with a squeeze of clementine are lifted by notes of dried hay and grasses and intensified by a back note of grilled peach. The palate offers richer flavour with a greater predominance of spicy notes compared with previous vintages though they remain well integrated across the palate. There is a sophisticated character and mouthfeel like woven taffeta. The perceptible acidity is a little bit lighter so that the wine carries a richer palate experience but it is still in good overall balance to deliver a lengthy and delicious wine. In a good place to drink currently. (ECB)
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Pale, green-tinged yellow. Very rich, deep scents of mirabelle, white peach, lemon and nuts, plus a faint suggestion of butterscotch. Wonderfully rich, suave and deep but also boasts serious energy, definition and structure, not to mention subtle sweetness to its lightly tropical fruit flavors. This densely packed wine has already picked up a bit of umami creaminess of texture. As in so many past vintages, the Sémillon component dominates in the early going. An outstanding vintage for this bottling; in fact, it reminded me of the 2010 version in its superb length and grip. (14.1% alcohol; 3.21 pH; 6.7 grams per liter total acidity expressed as tartaric acid; 60% new oak)
A blend of 68% Sauvignon Blanc and 32% Sémillon, the 2016 Chaleur Blanc offers up notes of citrus pith, subtle gooseberry, paraffin wax and botanicals. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, textural and bright, with good concentration and racy, mouthwatering acids, concluding with a youthfully chalky finish. I suspect that this 5,000-case cuvée would be an interesting candidate for cellaring, as it has the balance and cut to develop for a decade.
Looking first at the whites, the 2016 Chaleur Blanc is 85% Semillon and 15% Sauvignon Blanc, and this cuvée is unquestionably one of the top Bordeaux white blends coming out of the United States. Pineapple, tart peach, honeysuckle, and white flower characteristics all emerge from the glass. It has beautiful purity and sweetness of fruit, good acidity, and a clean, dry finish. Drink it anytime over the coming 4-5 years (or longer if you’re so inclined). Owner/Winemaker Chris Upchurch compared the 2015s from Washington State to the 2009s from Bordeaux, and given the sweltering heat in 2015, I understand the comparison. However, the 2015s come across as more focused and classic in style, in part, I suspect to the vines shutting down throughout the summer and I think the true phenolics actually lag the 2012s, 2014s, and 2016s. These wines are concentrated, have notable purity, and building tannin. They’re going to benefit from short-term cellaring. As usual, I tasted the barrel samples during my visit at the estate and the bottled wines at my office in Colorado.