Delas Frères
Les Bessards Hermitage Syrah
Hermitage, Northern Rhône, Rhône, France
Given the small production of most high-end northern Rhône wines, it isn’t that often that one gets the chance to drink one at full maturity, and this Hermitage was a remarkable example of just how complex and captivating this appellation’s wines, from a great year like 1990, can be at their peak, showing intense, pure dark fruit and floral character, mineral and spice nuances and Syrah’s typical smokiness. Delas owns a relatively massive seven hectares of this, one of the Hermitage hill’s prime vineyards, so finding younger versions of this wine (current examples are consistently superb) should be relatively easy. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, January 2019)
Given the small production of most high-end northern Rhône wines, it isn’t that often that one gets the chance to drink one at full maturity, and this Hermitage was a remarkable example of just how complex and captivating this appellation’s wines, from a great year like 1990, can be at their peak, showing intense, pure dark fruit and floral character, mineral and spice nuances and Syrah’s typical smokiness. Delas owns a relatively massive seven hectares of this, one of the Hermitage hill’s prime vineyards, so finding younger versions of this wine (current examples are consistently superb) should be relatively easy. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, January 2019)