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Delas Freres
Top-Flight Hermitage, Cote Rotie, Condrieu and More
If you love archetypal Syrah from the most celebrated sites in Hermitage and Cote Rotie, Delas' single cru bottlings provide the most advantageous way to get top-flight examples of Les Bessards, La Landonne and their new release, from Les Grandes Vignes for a remotely affordable price. With similar quality wines from Chave, Allemand, Jamet, tipping the scales at $300 or more a bottle, you have to wonder just how much you are willing to pay for rarity and cult status? And with the same wines from Chapoutier or Guigal also at twice the price, it is hard to advocate passing on these to get any of those.
Those with a taste for Condrieu should not miss out on the last wine listed, the 97 point Condrieu Clos Boucher for $69 a bottle.
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Delas Freres
These latest acquisitions will arrive in June or July.
Hermitage les Grands Vignes Ligne de Crete 2015 $169
98 points Wine Advocate
"The 2015 Hermitage Unnamed Cuvee is likely to be released in 2020, once marketing catches up with production and decides on a name and label. The wine comes from the lieu-dit of Les Grandes Vignes, located above L'Ermite and just east of the chapel atop the Hermitage hill. This first vintage is dense and concentrated but with crushed-stone details layered over red fruit flavors. It's full-bodied and built for decades of aging yet retains a sense of silky ripeness on the long, long finish. This new bottling looks capable of rivaling the top wines from Chapoutier and Chave for Hermitage supremacy.."
Hermitage les Bessards 2017 $169
97 points Wine Advocate
"Archetypal Les Bessards, the Delas 2017 Hermitage Les Bessards boasts rich, deep cassis fruit accented by hints of crushed stone and pencil shavings. It's full-bodied, ripe yet firm, with great energy, freshness and length on the spice-tinged finish. While relatively approachable young, it should age well for up to two decades. Tasted twice (once blind), with one bottle showing more peppery spice, red berries and cured-meat notes."
Hermitage les Grands Vignes Ligne de Crete 2017 $169
97 points Wine Advocate
"Like the Les Bessards, the 2017 Hermitage Unnamed Cuvee was bottled two weeks prior to my visit. It comes from the lieu-dit of Les Grandes Vignes, above L'Ermite and just to the right of the chapel (as viewed from the bottom of the hill). This full-bodied beauty features hints of crushed stone and pencil shavings layered over deep waves of cassis and mocha fruit that make it seem slightly more generous up front than the Les Bessardes, then it turns more austere on the finish."
Cote Rotie La Landonne 2017 $169
97 points Jeb Dunnuck
"The 2017 Côte Rôtie La Landonne is a candidate for the wine of the vintage and offers everything you could want from Côte Rôtie. Revealing a deep purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of black raspberries, blackberries, toasted spice, violets, and spring flowers, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, no hard edges, and ample yet sweet tannins. This remarkable effort has loads of richness and intensity yet stays weightless and elegant. As I wrote in the barrel reviews, it's atypically charming and forward, yet it's going to nevertheless cruise in cool cellars for upwards of two decades given its balance. Delas Frères continues to fire on all cylinders under the guidance of Jacques Granges, who came on board as the head winemaker in June of 1997. Jacques also has the talented Claire Darnaud helping with the winemaking and, unquestionably, the top wines here are world-class in every way. In addition, the estate has just completed construction on a new cellar located in the heart of Tain l’Hermitage. In addition to the single vineyard, the estate is also a treasure trove of value wines, both from the Northern and Southern Rhône. (Drink between 2020-2040)"
St Joseph Sainte Epine 2017 $55
94 points Vinous
"Dark violet color. Pungent, mineral-accented black raspberry and cherry cola aromas are complemented by suggestions of potpourri, olive and cola. Silky and expansive on the palate, offering spice-tinged black/blue fruit flavors that show excellent delineation and back-end cut. Lively and youthfully chewy in texture, finishing with solid, mineral drive and harmonious, slow-building tannins. (Drink between 2024-2032)"
Hermitage les Bessards 2018 $169
97 points Jeb Dunnuck
"A stunning Hermitage in every sense, the 2018 Hermitage Les Bessards comes from the steep, broken granite soils of the Les Bessards lieu-dit on Hermitage Hill. Revealing a deep purple/violet color, it has a gorgeous nose of crème de cassis, scorched earth, violets, pepper, and a liquid rock-like minerality. It’s full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, with background oak, flawless balance, ripe yet present tannins, and a great, great finish. It's not a massive Hermitage (especially by this cuvée’s standards in the past) yet has gorgeous purity of fruit and an incredible sense of class. Give bottles 4-5 years (it offers pleasure even today) and it should keep for 30+ years or more. (Drink between 2024-2056)"
Crozes - Hermitage les Clos 2018 $45
92-94 points Jeb Dunnuck
"More smoked meat, earth, graphite, and assorted red and black fruits emerge from the 2018 Crozes-Hermitage Le Clos, a deep, richer, more concentrated wine than the Domaine des Grands Chemins release. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, and structured, it's beautifully balanced on the palate, with plenty of fruit. Nevertheless, it has enough tannins to warrant short-term cellaring. Delas Frères continues to fire on all cylinders under the guidance of Jacques Granges, who came on board as the head winemaker in June of 1997. Jacques also has the talented Claire Darnaud helping with the winemaking and, unquestionably, the top wines here are world-class in every way. In addition, the estate has just completed construction on a new cellar located in the heart of Tain l’Hermitage. In addition to the single vineyard, the estate is also a treasure trove of value wines, both from the Northern and Southern Rhône."
Condrieu Clos Boucher 2018 $69
97 points Jeb Dunnuck
" A much more serious, focused effort, the 2018 Condrieu Clos Boucher has stunning notes of crushed citrus, liquid rock, white peach, spice, and flowers. Just straight-up Condrieu magic, it's full-bodied and has a lush, opulent texture, beautiful purity, and a great finish. It has more acidity and cut than the Galopine, yet both show the ripe, upfront, plush style of the vintage. Drink this beauty any time over the coming 4-6 years. (Drink between 2020-2026)."
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MICHAEL GLASBY | 415 350 3127
COURTIER | 510 926 6565
2266 Central Street #3
Richmond, CA 94801
michael.glasby@courtierwines.com
courtierwines.com
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