DeLille Cellars

DeLille Cellars was founded in 1992 by the Lill family (father Charles Lill and son Greg Lill) with founding partner Jay Soloff and founding winemaker Chris Upchurch. Upchurch stepped back from day-to-day winemaking in January 2019; Jason Gorski has led winemaking since, becoming Vice President of Winemaking in 2024. The producer's name derives from the Lill family heritage. DeLille was among the earliest premium Bordeaux-blend producers in Washington's emerging wine commerce, joining the Walla Walla three (Leonetti 1977, Woodward Canyon 1981, L'Ecole No. 41 1983) as foundational members of the Bordeaux-blend producer hierarchy. The Woodinville location places DeLille in the Seattle-area wine production hub that has emerged as Washington's western Washington wine tourism corridor: Woodinville hosts dozens of wineries with no Columbia Valley winery facilities (the producers winemake in Woodinville using Columbia Valley fruit), supporting a substantial direct-to-consumer tasting room economy. DeLille has remained one of Woodinville's anchor producers throughout its operating history, with a substantial tasting room and event facility supporting the tourism-driven distribution model.

• Founded 1992 by Lill family (Charles Lill, Greg Lill) + founding partner Jay Soloff + founding winemaker Chris Upchurch
• Among earliest premium Bordeaux-blend producers in WA emerging wine commerce; joined Walla Walla three as foundational Bordeaux-blend producer hierarchy
• Woodinville location: Seattle-area wine production hub; hosts dozens of WA wineries with no CV facilities (winemake in Woodinville using CV fruit); supports tourism-driven distribution
• Anchor Woodinville producer: substantial tasting room and event facility supporting tourism-driven model throughout operating history

DeLille's Grand Ciel Vineyard on Red Mountain is the producer's estate vineyard and a primary fruit source for the flagship Chaleur Estate and single-AVA bottlings. The vineyard plantings include Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah on Red Mountain sandy loam and volcanic-ash soils; the south-facing aspect and the Red Mountain mineral signature contribute to the structural depth that defines DeLille's reds. Beyond Grand Ciel, DeLille sources from broader Red Mountain partner vineyards (Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, others) and from broader Yakima Valley sources (Boushey Vineyard among others) for varietal and stylistic completeness. The premium fruit sourcing supports the Red Mountain emphasis in the Chaleur Estate and Four Flags lines while the broader Yakima Valley sources support the producer's wider lineup.

• Grand Ciel Vineyard (Red Mountain): DeLille estate vineyard; Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah plantings on Red Mountain sandy loam and volcanic-ash soils
• South-facing aspect + Red Mountain mineral signature contribute to structural depth defining DeLille reds
• Broader Red Mountain partners: Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, others supply additional fruit for premium bottlings
• Yakima Valley sources: Boushey Vineyard among others support broader lineup

Chaleur Estate (French for 'heat estate') is DeLille's flagship Bordeaux blend and one of Washington State's most-cited premium Bordeaux blends. The wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend (typically 50-65 percent Cabernet with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec completing the blend) sourced primarily from Grand Ciel Vineyard and Red Mountain partner sites. The Chaleur Estate has been produced continuously since the 1992 founding vintage; the long production history provides one of Washington's most consistent multi-vintage Bordeaux blend references. The wine shows the dense extracted Red Mountain Cabernet register with structured tannic backbone and 15-25 year ageing trajectories on top bottlings. Chaleur Estate Blanc (a Sauvignon Blanc / Sémillon white Bordeaux blend) anchors the producer's premium white wine reference. The Chaleur Estate flagship has shaped Washington Bordeaux blend reputation broadly and serves as a critical reference point for the regional premium Bordeaux blend category.

• Chaleur Estate ('heat estate' in French): DeLille flagship Bordeaux blend; one of WA's most-cited premium Bordeaux blends
• Composition: Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend (50-65% Cab + Merlot + Cab Franc + Petit Verdot + Malbec); sourced primarily from Grand Ciel + Red Mountain partners
• Production history: continuous since 1992 founding vintage; one of WA's most consistent multi-vintage Bordeaux blend references; dense extracted Red Mountain Cab register
• Chaleur Estate Blanc: Sauvignon Blanc / Sémillon white Bordeaux blend; anchors producer's premium white wine reference

Beyond the Chaleur Estate flagship, DeLille has progressively expanded the lineup to cover broader price tiers and varietal expressions. The Doyenne brand is DeLille's Rhône-style label: Doyenne Syrah and other Rhône-influenced bottlings provide a Northern Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape-influenced stylistic counterpoint to the Bordeaux-dominant main DeLille lineup. The D2 (a more accessible Bordeaux blend introduced as the second-label entry point) provides price-accessible introduction to the producer's stylistic register; the D2 is the producer's widely distributed second-label Bordeaux blend. The Four Flags Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Mountain single-AVA bottling) anchors the single-AVA dedicated Cabernet program. The expanded lineup serves the producer's substantial tasting room traffic (DeLille operates one of Woodinville's prominent tasting rooms) while maintaining the upper-tier Chaleur Estate reference at modest production scale.

• Doyenne brand: DeLille's Rhône-style label; Doyenne Syrah and other Rhône-influenced bottlings provide N. Rhône + Châteauneuf-influenced counterpoint to Bordeaux-dominant main lineup
• D2: second-label more accessible Bordeaux blend; price-accessible introduction to producer's stylistic register; the producer's widely distributed second-label blend
• Four Flags Cabernet Sauvignon: Red Mountain single-AVA bottling; anchors single-AVA dedicated Cabernet program
• Lineup expansion serves substantial Woodinville tasting room traffic; upper-tier Chaleur Estate reference maintained at modest production scale