Kicking off the estate’s Rhone portfolio, the 2012 Doyenne Roussanne is comprised of 100% Roussanne and was fermented in a combination of French oak and stainless steel before aging in stainless steel. Beautifully fresh and lively, with classic pear, honeycomb, mineral and hints of butter nut, it is a medium-bodied, balanced and fresh white that stays clean and lively on the finish due to ample acidity. There’s a suppleness here that suggests near-term drinking is the safe approach, yet it should still have an interesting evolution over the coming 3-4 years. Drink now-2016. Making their wines in a Woodinville facility and pulling grapes from a number of eastern Washington AVAs, DeLille Cellars was founded in the early nineties and is a reference point estate. The wines are made by Chris Upchurch, with help from Jason Gorski and Louis Skinner in the cellar. They’ve split up the brand into two different labels: Doyenne for all Rhone-styled blends, and Chaleur Estate for their Bordeaux blends and straight Cabernet Sauvignon releases. Both 2010 and 2011 are incredibly strong here, and with regards to the Doyenne releases, represent some of the best wines I’ve tasted from them. Tel. (425) 489-0544; www.delillecellars.com