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 Hermitage “Les Bessards” is named after a sub-region of the Hermitage appellation, where the steeply terraced hillside vineyards have an excellent southwestern exposure. Those vineyards produce some of the world’s most intense, dense wines from the rich Syrah varietal. Delas owns 25 acres in this prized region, which is a large amount by Rhône standards. This cuvée is a vineyard plot selection. The grapes come exclusively from the oldest plot within the renowned area of “Les Bessards” in the heart of the Hermitage slopes. This wine is only produced during the very best years and the production is deliberately limited to 6,000 bottles (75 cl.) per year
The soils are a combination of granite with alluvial quaternary delta deposits and Pliocene marl. This diversity explains the numerous names given to the various vineyard plots within the appellation: Bessards, Greffieux, Méal, Roucoule, Beaumes, etc. The vineyards are south-facing and protected from the north winds. The slopes are well exposed to the sun.
Harvesting for “Les Bessards” is entirely manual and occurs when the grapes show optimum ripeness. Fermentation takes place in traditional, open-topped concrete tanks after two days of pre-fermentary skin contact at cool temperatures. Fermenting continues at controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F (28°C to 30°C). Daily cap punching and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days, with a total maceration period of up to 20 days. Maturation lasts between 12 and 14 months in oak barrels, which are new or have already held one wine. These are regularly racked in order to provide the tannins with enough oxygen for an optimum maturing.
The 2018 Hermitage vintage was hailed as exceptional, with ideal growing conditions contributing to wines of remarkable depth and concentration. A warm and dry growing season, balanced by timely rains, allowed the grapes to achieve perfect ripeness, resulting in wines with intense, dark fruit flavours, rich tannins, and vibrant acidity. The vintage is noted for its powerful structure and longevity, with many producers crafting wines that are expected to age gracefully over decades. 2018 Hermitage is a standout vintage.
The wine is a brilliant, deep red hue with lots of depth. The nose shows great class, with soft aromas of blackberries and violets. Hermitage “Les Bessards” shows plenty of concentration in its fruit. This is a wine with a particularly dense tannic structure, and extremely good balance.
This wine pairs well with red meats, rare or medium cooked - game, marinated meats and spicy stews. This wine needs at least three years cellaring before it can open up its complexity. After this time, it should be decanted before serving. It is recommended you open the bottle one to three hours before drinking.
98; Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, May 2021
Boasting classic Les Bessards notes of sun-warmed cassis and crushed stone, the 2018 Hermitage Les Bessards has turned out to be a magnificent wine—a close rival to the potentially perfect 2015. Full-bodied and velvety, concentrated and tannic, overflowing with notes of grilled plums, grilled meat and black olives, it’s all topped off by a forever finish that remains fresh and cleansing, courtesy of lingering salted-licorice flavors and the texture of finely ground stone dust. Try a bottle after 2025, if you can wait that long.
97; jebdunnuck.com, November 2020
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.
97; Wine Enthusiast, May 2021
Les Bressards is a single-vineyard selection limited to 6,000 majestic bottles in any vintage it’s produced. Made from 100% Syrah, its black-cherry coulis and crème de cassis flavors are spicy, marked by hits of scorched anise and peppercorn. Anchored by zesty acidity and a bristling mineral undertow, it’s a structured red wrapped in tannins that feel feel fierce now but should meld from 2023. The wine will improve well through 2035 and hold much longer still.
96; Vinous, December 2022
Glass-staining ruby. Hugely perfumed, mineral-accented black and blue fruit preserves, floral oil, olive paste, pipe tobacco and exotic spice aromas show superb clarity and pick up a hint of smokiness with air. Juicy and expansive on the palate, offering alluringly sweet kirsch, cassis, fruitcake and cola flavors that deepen slowly through the back half. Shows fine delineation and vibrant, mineral lift on an impressively long, chewy and floral-accented finish that’s framed by steadily building tannins.
96; Wine Spectator, February 2021
This is packed with intense dark fig, blackberry and boysenberry reduction flavors that show a subtle singed alder thread as they assert themselves, weaving around while mouthwatering anise and bay leaf notes filter through. The finish shows a late echo of scorched earth, with the fruit keeping pace. A dense and muscular wine, yet with superb detail. One for the cellar. Best from 2024 through 2038. 550 cases made, 50 cases imported.
95; jamessuckling.com, March 2022
Some people will call this a blockbuster, but I disagree. The stunning nose of the ripest forest berries and raw meat sucks you into the extremely full-bodied and concentrated palate, where the powerful, fine tannins have been beautifully crafted and are already fully integrated at the very long, remarkably fresh finish for this very warm vintage. Drink or hold.
95; Wine & Spirits, February 2021
Made only in top years, this comes from a plot of vines planted in Les Bessards’ granite soils in 1946. It’s an intense, concentrated red in 2018, the fruit nestled deeply into earthy tannins and swathed in chocolatey oak. For all that density, everything feels in harmony, the flavors complex, seamless and lasting for minutes after each sip. This isn’t a wine you can rush: Best to set it aside for a decade before uncorking for a grand meal.
Hermitage AOC
100% Syrah
Cork
Yes
Yes
