Founded 185 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 vineyard stretches over 3 communes in the Drôme “department”: Tain-l’Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Larnage.
The Hermitage Blanc is a blend of three different terroirs: L’Emite, le sabot and La Tourette. The soils are a combination of granite with alluvial quaternary delta deposits and Pliocene marl. This diversity explains the numerous different names given to vineyard plots within the appellation: Bessards, Greffieux, Méal, Roucoule, Beaumes, etc…).
Protected from the north winds, the slopes are south facing and receive excellent sun exposure.
The harvest is carried out by hand in two stages. The juice is pressed “à la champenois”, by separating the free-run wine and the press wine. After a light racking, the must is put into barrel (new barrels, or used previously for one or two vintages) in order for the alcoholic fermentation to take place. With the aim of perserving the wine’s freshness on the finish, malolactic fermentation is sometimes carried out only partially.
The wine is fermented in barrel for 9 to 12 months, on the lees, with regular lees stirring. Two months before bottling the wine is blended, after which it is stelled and racked into a tank so that the different elements have time to become balanced and harmonious before going into bottle.
Good rainfall during the winter helped build up water reserves, which was much needed as temperatures warmed up and there was hardly any rainfall from Spring until mid-June. A devastating hailstorm hit Crozes-Hermitage, and to lesser extent parts of St Joseph, on June 15th – the like of which had not been seen since 1952. July and August continued to be hot, with a little rain which helped to sustain the vines to the end of vintage, with a warm and sunny September. By harvest time, grape health was immaculate and quantities were normal to good (except in Crozes which was impacted by a hailstorm reducing quantities up to 35%). The berries picked were small and concentrated with thick skins but ripe tannins, resulting in glorious wines with aromatic perfume and wonderful fruit and silky texture.
Pale yellow, with green tints. The hue is bright with good density. On the nose the Hermitage blanc “Domaine des Tourettes” shows floral notes, underpinned by candied citrus fruit fragrances. These are complemented by fine oaky notes, such as vanilla and toasted brioche. Its powerful character shows on the palate. Concentrated and opulent, with a perfectly balanced structure, this Hermitage has beautiful freshness and a good mineral character, giving it great aromatic lenght.
White meats (chicken with morilles mushrooms, quail with truffles), fish (gille Sea Bass with citrus fruit) and cheese.
Hermitage AOC, France
Marsanne: 90%
Roussanne: 10%
Cork
Yes
Yes
