Winemaker Notes
Undeterred by its youth, the 2020 Grand Ciel Cabernet delivers an abundance of pleasure on release. The nose shows whiffs of blackberry, roasted baking spices, star anise and cedar plank. The harmonious palate displays powerful, broad tannins and intense richness while remaining impeccably balanced and fresh. The oak is layered seamlessly in the background behind spicy green peppercorn, red currants, fresh dark espresso, and molasses. The lengthy finish is focused and has great purity of fruit with a savory edge.
Taleggio ravioli with wine braised lamb shank, butternut squash and Cipollini onion rings — Grand Ciel Cabernet Sauvignon also pairs well with earthy vegetables, beef short ribs, venison cheeks, lamb shanks and burgers.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
A showy yet precise 100% Cabernet from Delille's Red Mountain estate site Grand Ciel, planted in 2000. Red florals leap forth backed by whispers of cassia bark, red currant and Montmorency cherries with clove. The palate is marked by dark, ripe raspberry and blackberry flavours, and heady, savoury notes of sumac, clove, and wild fennel carry the wine to a balanced, harmonious marriage of Red Mountain structure and ample freshness. That a wine this youthful offers so much is a testament to the terroir and winemaking of Jason Gorski.
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James Suckling
This is polished and perfumed, exuding sandalwood, cloves, blueberries, blackcurrants and myrrh. Touch of eucalyptus. It’s full-bodied, layered and classy, with firm, fine tannins supporting the spiced fruit. Long finish. From a single plot of estate-vineyard cabernet sauvignon.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Last of the 2020 barrel samples, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Ciel Vineyard has outstanding aromatics of blackcurrants, chocolate, roasted herbs, and chalky minerality. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, structured wine with building tannins and a great finish.
Barrel Sample: 92-94
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
A coveted source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers, the Red Mountain AVA is actually the smallest appellation in the state. As its name might suggest, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead the appellation is an anticline of the Yakima fold belt, a series of geologic folds that define a number of viticultural regions in the surrounding area. It is on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes. The area’s springtime proliferation of cheatgrass, which has a reddish color, actually gives the area the name, "Red" Mountain.
Red Mountain produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington and there are a few reasons for this. It is just about the hottest appellation with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. The low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.
The most common red grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, among others. Limited white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon blanc.
The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities.