The flagship 2005 Chaleur Estate is sourced largely from the Red Mountain AVA and is the same blend as the Harrison Hill. It is a more structured wine with 4-6 years of aging potential and gobs of black cherry and blackberry fruit. This nicely balanced, lengthy effort will be at its best from 2013 to 2025.DeLille Cellars and Doyenne are sister labels, the former for Bordeaux-style wines and the latter for Rhone-style wines. They will be reviewed separately. As a postscript, DeLille Cellars presented a vertical of the Chaleur Estate from 1996 to 2005. The wines are all evolving nicely with the exception of the 1997, the product of a cooler year, which needs drinking over the next few years.www.delillecellars.com

Chaleur Estate is DeLille’s finest red wine; this vintage is more refined, elegant and precise than ever before. The 2005 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot; it’s especially ripe and expressive. Lovely details of ripe cherry, plum and cassis fruit are dappled with intriguing grace notes of sweet grass, fresh herb and cracker. This wine has grace and length, and the finish combines earth, herb, rock and light hints of toast. ——P.G.(11/1/2008)—— 94