2014 DeLille Cellars Grand Ciel Cabernet

Winery notes:

“Grand Ciel Cabernet is a single vineyard, single varietal & single clone Cabernet from our estate vineyard on Red Mountain. Every detail of our vineyard has been designed to produce the highest quality fruit from the unique climate & soil of this prestigious AVA known for ripe & structured Cabernet. Our rigorous selection process only permits a small portion of grapes to become part of Grand Ciel. First vintage 2004.”

Critical Acclaim:

“97 points.

“The blockbuster 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Ciel offers a full-bodied, gorgeously pure style that doesn’t lack for structure or concentration. Notes of cassis, black currants, violets and lead pencil all emerge from this serious Cabernet that will need to be forgotten in the cellar for 4-5 years.

“95+ points.

“I loved the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Ciel from barrel, and it didn’t disappoint from bottle. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the top terroirs in the state, it boasts a vibrant purple color as well as classic notes of lead pencil shavings, wet gravel, black currants and chocolate. The tannin is more pronounced here than in the Shaw Red Mountain release, yet it has full-bodied richness, good concentration, beautiful balance and a great finish. I wouldn’t touch bottles for another 4-5 years.

“This was another massive lineup of wines from the team at Delille, and as I think the scores show, I’m not complaining. The 2013s show the more elegant, streamlined style of the vintage nicely, while the 2014s offer a more unctuous, hedonistic style. These are both terrific vintages and ideally readers will have both in their cellar. The news here is the consolidation of the Doyenne releases under the Delille Cellars label. In the past, the estate kept their Rhone variety blends separate and released them under the Doyenne label, with no mention of Delille. Going forward, all of the wines will be released under the Delille label, with the Rhone inspired releases including Doyenne as part of the wine name. I think this is a good move and simplifies the labels. In addition, I’m working on a retrospective here to show the overall aging curve for a few of the cuvees. This will be published as a standalone article later this year.” – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate