2023 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Blanc Columbia Valley 750 ml

Back in 1995, the partners at DeLille Cellars wanted to make a white wine, the market was already flooded with California Chardonnay. So Chris Upchurch, DeLille’s legendary winemaker, went on a pilgrimage to France, to learn all he could from Jean-Philippe Delmas of renowned Château Haut-Brion. 

Haut-Brion Blanc is the most famous white in Bordeaux, and one of the most expensive white wines in the world—the epitome of a Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blend. Modeling a wine on Haut-Brion was an obvious thing to do… but doing it in Washington State was completely revolutionary.

At Haut-Brion, Chris learned about how some years favored Sauvignon and Sémillon over others, how the wine could reach incredible levels of complexity and richness without skin contact or malolactic fermentation, and how the blend benefited from a long barrel regimen. When he returned to Washington, Upchurch began sourcing fruit for the white wine the estate had been aching to produce.

Around 2007, after more than a decade of honing his approach, Upchurch’s inspired Chaleur Blanc started taking flight. Stephen Tanzer of Vinous has claimed that the wine “could do major damage in a blind flight with some high-end Bordeaux whites,” and positioned it as competition for California wines like Peter Michael’s Après-Midi that go for more than twice as much per bottle.

The 2023 comes from one of the greatest vintages ever in the Pacific Northwest, and from an all-star selection of vineyards. The most famous sites are Boushey and Klipson, widely considered some of the Grand Crus of the Columbia Valley, and Sagemoor, with its old, perfectly exposed vines. The final blend ended up being 69% Sauvignon Blanc and 31% Sémillon, aged in 42% new and 26% second-fill French oak barrels.

The result is pale straw with a green-gold shimmer. Layered aromas of lemon zest, ripe melon, and white peach are accented by honeysuckle, fresh herbs, and a hint of almond skin. The palate is vibrant and finely textured, with bright citrus and orchard fruit balanced by a subtle creaminess from the delicate oak. It’s a brilliant pairing with an herb-rubbed roast chicken, but as it ages and deepens, it’ll become an occasion unto itself.