Founded 160 years ago in the heart of the northern Côtes du Rhône, Delas Freres today crafts world class wines from both northern and southern Rhône.
Tending the steep sloping vineyards, which total some 30 hectares of vines, the team adapt their growing practices to each plot of vines to let the terroir of the Rhône shine through in the wines.
Crafted by winemaker Jacques Grange (who is originally from Burgundy), the wines from Delas Freres epitomise finesse and elegance. Recent vintages from the vineyards of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Ventoux have bee lauded in the press for their intensity of flavour and excellent value.
The northern part of the vineyard the Côte Brune consists of extremely steep, terraced slopes of ferruginous mica schists which are covered with schist sand (arzel).The Côte Blonde has a varied geology with gneiss and granite predominating at the most southern side of the appellation.
The grapes used in the “La Landonne” cuvée are hand picked at optimum maturity. Fermentation takes place in traditional open-topped concrete tanks, after three days of cold maceration. Before fermentation, the maceration process is conducted under controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F (28°C to 30°C). Daily cap pushing down and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days. The total vatting time can be up to 20 days.
The wine is aged for 14 to 16 months in new or one year old oak casks.
In terms of the flowering, it took place two to three weeks later than in 2015, which ultimately corresponds to a typical year. The first stage of flowering took place in sunny conditions, whereas the second stage unfortunately took place in heavy rain. By the end of summer the vineyards had returned to a perfectly healthy state and ripening went well, particularly after a beneficial rainy spell in early September.
The 2020 Delas La Landonne is a powerful and concentrated wine, displaying a deep, nearly opaque ruby colour. The nose is intense, with rich aromas of dark berries, black olives, smoked meats, and earthy notes. On the palate, it is full-bodied, with dense, velvety tannins and layers of blackberry, plum, and spice flavours. The wine is well-structured with a firm backbone and a long, savory finish. This vintage showcases both the boldness and refinement of La Landonne, with excellent potential for long-term aging.
This wine pairs wonderfully with fine meats, roasted beef, water games, truffles and spicy stews. The bottle should be opened 1 to 3 hours before drinking. This wine needs at least 3 years cellaring before it can open up its complexity. In such case it is strongly recommended to decant before serving.
97; Jeb Dunnuck, March 2024
Moving to the single vineyard 2020 Côte Rôtie La Landonne, this beauty is 100% Syrah that spent 16 months in a mix of new and used barrels. It’s similarly deep purple/plum-hued yet has a more mineral-laced, focused, full-bodied style as well as classic La Landonne notes of smoked meats, liquid violets, creosote, blueberry, and black raspberries, with a gorgeous, sappy, floral character that you don’t find in every La Landonne out there. Deep, rich, and seamless, I love its overall balance, and it has perfectly ripe, integrated tannins, good acidity, and a blockbuster of a finish. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it gained richness and depth and, even after three days of being open, didn’t show a hint of fatigue or oxidation. Nevertheless, it’s a modern-day Côte Rôtie that already offers incredible pleasure yet will have 25+ years of overall longevity if well-stored. Bravo.
92; Wine & Spirits, April 2023
Earthy-sweet blueberry flavors are brightened by an acidity that would make me excited to try this wine again in five years. Though the wine is suave and rich, it presents some of syrah’s animal funk and floral aspects at the edges and at the end of its length. If you open it now, decant it to diminish the toasty oak in the finish. For grilled lamb.
94; Decanter, September 30, 2021
Juniper and warm herbal notes behind berry fruits on a fresh nose. Rounded and juicy on the palate, this is a ripe, well-shaped wine with fine tannins, a good sense of energy and true focus. A slick of ripe, fine tannin in reserve gives this some ageing potential. Fermented in open-top concrete tanks for 20 days, then matured in new and one-year-old barrels for 14 months.
Côte-Rôtie AOC
100% Syrah
Cork
Yes
Yes
