Winemaker Notes
Chaleur Blanc begins with careful hand sorting at crush, followed by gentle whole-cluster pressing to release free-run juice. After chilling in stainless steel tanks to achieve a clean and crisp profile, the majority of their clarified juice is fermented sur lie in French oak barrels. Experience a wine of elegance with rich, deep layers of spice and fruit.
Blend: 67% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Semillon
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 67% Sauvignon and 33% Semillon, the 2021 Chaleur Blanc will give a top Bordeaux Blanc a run for its money. Bright lemon curd, honeyed minerality, acacia flowers, and hints of brioche all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It's beautifully done and will evolve for at least a decade (although I like it today).
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Chaleur Blanc is made from 67% Sauvignon Blanc and 33% Sémillon. The nose is oaky, fresh and lifted with notes of yellow apples, sweet citrus and a delightfully soft mineral essence. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is focused, balanced and succulent with notions of lemon pastry cream and vanilla that sway with a delicate mineral tension. The wine concludes with a focused, fresh and lingering finish. At $42 a bottle, this is perhaps one of the best Washington Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blends in the market today. Just over 67,000 bottles were produced. This was almost all barrel fermented and barrel aged, with 51% new French oak. Impressive! Rating : 93+
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James Suckling
Notes of glazed lemons, peaches and caramel with some nutty undertones. Medium-bodied and creamy with tangy acidity and a polished finish. Hints of pastry and creamy stone fruit at the end. Drink now.
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Wine Spectator
Crisp and vibrant yet fleshy, with pretty honeysuckle, fresh fig and apricot accents that build richness and structure on the supple finish. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
67% Sauvignon Blanc; 33% Semillon. This blend makes full use of both varieties by combining a fruity, slightly grassy beginning with melon and mineral layers in both nose and mouth. There is more than enough depth here, and while a tad on the supple side at entry, it firms up very nicely across the palate and into its long and tasty finish. Its balance and stuffing suggest that the wine will age well for several years.
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Wine & Spirits
Chaleur, DeLille’s blend of sauvignon and semillon, leads with the scent of almond blossoms. Semillon gives it a broad and woolly feel, with a fleshiness that calls for pork loin.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.