Delas Freres Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes Rouge 2018 (750ml)

 

Rated 96 Points & Cellar Selection by Wine Enthusiast

 

Prominent veins of crushed granite and tar shadow rich, decadent flavors of black-currant jam and licorice in this 100% Syrah sourced from three different sites within Hermitage (including the estate's flagship Les Bessards).  While tannins are ripe, it's a charry, piquantly spiced wine in youth that finishes on peppery hits of clove, dark chocolate and espresso shavings.  It's best to wait till 2023 to open but the wine should improve through 2035 at least.  Cellar Selection.  Score - 96.  May 1, 20121, Anna Lee C. Iijima

 

Rated 95 Points by Jeb Dunnuck

 

“Certainly not far behind the Les Bessards, the 2018 Hermitage Domaine Des Tourettes sports a dense purple/ruby color to go with thrilling notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, peppered meat, and violets.  Full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, great tannins, and serious length all characterize this young yet incredibly promising Hermitage.  Hide bottles for at least 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.”  November 19, 2020, Jeb Dunnuck

 

Rated 95-95 Points by Vinous Media

 

“Intensely perfumed aromas of black/blue fruit liqueur, pipe tobacco and potpourri are complemented by smoky mineral and olive flourishes that build with air.  Densely packed and velvety in texture, offering palate-staining black raspberry, cherry and fruitcake flavors accented by violet pastille and licorice nuances.  Youthfully gripping tannins build slowly on the impressively persistent, mineral-driven finish, which features a resonating frisson of candied flowers.”  May 1, 2020, Josh Raynolds

 

Rated 93 Points by The Wine Advocate

 

“Relatively open and generous, the 2018 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes blends notes of red plums and cassis, then adds flourishes of pencil shavings and crushed stone.  It's full-bodied and velvety, still a bit tannic and young but nearly drinkable already, with a lingering, licorice-tinged finish.”  May 13, 2021, Joe Czerwinski

 

Delas Freres Hermitage

 

Domaine des Tourettes Rouge 2018

 

The Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes is the first wine to be produced by Delas Freres exclusively from the 8.5 hectares that are farmed on the famous hill that overlooks the town of Tain.  This cuvée is a blend of wines from three separate plots: l’Ermite, le Sabot and the famous terroir named Les Bessards.  This wine replaced the Marquise de la Tourette cuvée starting with the 2009 vintage.

 

Appellation:  Red Hermitage

 

Tasting Notes

 

The wine has a brilliant, deep red hue.  The nose is powerful and complex, expressing blackberries, spices and leather.  On the palate the wine is firm but silky, with a tightly-knit tannic structure that is the hallmark of wines that have a good future.

 

Alcohol:  15%

 

Food Pairing

 

Pair this wine with rare or medium-cooked games, marinated meats and spicy stews.  We recommend opening this bottle between one and three hours before drinking.

 

Vineyards:  The vineyard stretches over 3 communes in the Drôme "département": Tain-l'Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Larnage.

 

Soils:  The soils are a combination of granite with alluvial quaternary delta deposits, and Pliocene marl.  This diversity explains the numerous names given to vineyard plots within the appellation: Bessards, Greffi eux, Méal, Roucoule, Beaumes, etc.

 

Climate:  Protected from the north winds, the slopes are well exposed to the sun, facing south.

 

Surface Area Under Production:  The vineyards area adds up to 134 hectares/331 acres, with an annual production of 3,635 hectolitres/40,390 cases.  Authorized maximum yield is 40 hectolitres/hectare (2,3 us tons/acre).

 

Grape Varieties:  Syrah (an addition of up to 15% of Marsanne and Roussanne is allowed).

 

Wine Characteristics

 

The wine is a blend from three different terroirs:  L’Ermite, Le Sabot, and the famed plot, Les Bessards.  Average production:  30,000 bottles (75 cl) per year.  Grape variety:  100% Syrah.

 

Wine Making

 

All of the grapes of the cuvee “Domaine des Tourettes” are picked by hand, according to appropriate ripening in each terroir.  Fermentation takes place in traditional open-topped concrete tanks, after 2 days pre-fermentary skin contact at cool temperatures.  Maceration continues at controlled  temperatures of 82 degrees and 86 degrees.  Daily cap pushing down and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days, with a total vatting period up to 20 days.  After devatting and pressing the malolactic fermentation is carried out in oak barrels.

 

Maturing

 

Maturation is done in French oak barrels.  On each vintage, the notes of wood are the result of precise and variable proportion between new barrels and barrels which have already held one wine, and it is adapted according to each vintage tannic and tasting characteristics.

 

 

La Maison Delas Frères

 

The celebrated Delas Frères wine company was founded back in 1835.  Since 1996, the spirit and soul that contributed to its reputation for high quality wines have been restored.

 

The company's new management has made important investments in the Saint-Jean-de-Muzols production site near Tournon-sur-Rhône.

 

Its highly-motivated team is proud to play its part in the revival of the quality of this venerable Rhône Valley wine company.  A specially designed vat-house for the vinification of red wines, as well as a full restructuring of the ageing cellars, are among the new quality measures at Delas, all aimed at perpetuating and enhancing the expression of the Terroir.

 

The Domaines

 

Hermitage

 

The south-facing AOC Hermitage vineyards (red and white) extend over less than 130 hectares.  Delas Frères' "Domaine des Tourettes" covers almost 10 hectares and its grapes go exclusively into the production of two fine red wines.  It is mainly crafted from a blend of two terroirs, the prestigious Les Bessards terroir (itself made up of several lieux-dits) as well as the Grandes Vignes terroir.  "Domaine des Tourettes" is a rich, complex wine (100% Syrah) that reflects the remarkable granitic subsoils of this part of the AOC.

 

The white Hermitage combines rich and complementary floral notes from the Marsanne and Roussane varietals.

 

 

Rated 96 Points & Cellar Selection

 

by Wine Enthusiast

 

Prominent veins of crushed granite and tar shadow rich, decadent flavors of black-currant jam and licorice in this 100% Syrah sourced from three different sites within Hermitage (including the estate's flagship Les Bessards).  While tannins are ripe, it's a charry, piquantly spiced wine in youth that finishes on peppery hits of clove, dark chocolate and espresso shavings.  It's best to wait till 2023 to open but the wine should improve through 2035 at least.  Cellar Selection.  Score - 96.  May 1, 20121, Anna Lee C. Iijima