DeLille Cellars’ 2012 D2 is the Woodinville producer’s flagship Columbia Valley Bordeaux-style blend, originally conceived as a “second wine” to the estate’s Chaleur bottling but long since established on its own terms. The winery’s stated blend is Merlot-led—50% Merlot and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon—with small portions of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot drawn from more than a dozen Columbia Valley sites, including Red Willow, Harrison Hill, Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, Boushey, DuBrul, Upchurch, and the Grand Ciel estate vineyard.

This vintage was built for depth rather than flash, and the critical reception is notably strong. The standout review comes from Jeb Dunnuck in *Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate*, who awarded 93 points and called it “one hell of a second wine.” Dunnuck highlights “awesome notes of blackcurrants, wood smoke, graphite, chocolate, truffle and damp earth,” describing a “full-bodied, ripe, layered and still focused and lively profile.” He also emphasizes its structure and balance—“beautifully integrated acidity, moderate, sweet tannin and a great finish”—and projects “20 years of overall longevity,” making this an excellent review for collectors as well as near-term drinkers.

More broadly, the wine shows spice and savory detail alongside ripe fruit. *Wine Spectator* (91 points) describes it as “broad and spicy,” with “pepper and clove notes weaving through the ripe cherry and herbal flavors,” finishing with “a blanket of fine tannins as the finish persists.” That review reports 5,500 cases produced and suggests drinking “from 2017 through 2020.”

*Wine Enthusiast* (91 points) notes a slightly more restrained expression, pointing to “reserved aromas of woodspice, coffee, café au lait, cherry and herbs,” and “rich yet restrained” flavors with “firm tannins and a lingering finish,” recommending it “best after 2020.” Overall, the 2012 D2 reads as a polished, classically framed Washington blend with proven critical support and clear aging capability.