Delas Freres Wine Tasting at Wine Watch

Thursday, June 23, 2016 - 07:00 PM

This Event has been read: 1145 times.

"A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover."  Clifton Fadiman b. 1904-1999 American Writer & Editor

 

 

We have a few great tastings coming up next week and we will be sharing with our “Wine Drinking People” some of the best wines of the Northern Rhone Valley next Thursday night here at the store with our friends from Delas Freres.

 

Delas Freres is one of the most important producers of the Rhone Valley specializing in the wines of northern appellations of Hermitage and Cote Rotie.  These are two of the smallest major appellations of the Rhone Valley but they produce some of the most age worthy wines made with the Syrah varietal.

This tasting is a walk around event that is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this event is $55 + tax.  For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

 

 

Delas Freres Wine Tasting at Wine Watch
Thursday, June 23, 2016
7:00 PM

 

Delas Hermitage Domaine Tourettes Blanc 2012 & 2013
Price: $129.75 Sale $114.18   Case $1324

The Hermitage appellation is one of the greatest in the northern Rhone Valley. About 320 acres of vines cover the region's steep slopes, which enjoy an excellent southern exposure. The sun warms the hill from dawn till dusk, and during the night the granitic soil radiates the day's heat. Devoted primarily to the Syrah grape, the region also produces white wines that are grown where the topsoil has more clay content.

Pale yellow with green tints. The hue is bright with good density. On the nose the wine shows floral notes, underpinned by candied citrus fruit fragrances. These are complimented 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 length.

 

 

Delas Cote du Rhone 2014
Price: $11.75   Sale $10.34     Case $120.00

A blend of approximately 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache.   The Saint-Esprit's deep color has a dark, plum-like hue. The nose is classical Syrah, with berry fruit, violet and licorice. It has a full, rounded palate with delicate tannins, making it a unique wine in the Côtes-du-Rhône appellation.

 

 

Delas Chateauneuf du Pape 2013
Price: $40.50   Sale $35.64     Case $414

A blend of 90% Grenache, 10% Syrah.   The color is a deep garnet red. The nose of the "Haute Pierre" has strong spicy aromas that reveal a rich, powerful body that is delicate, yet has a tightly-knit tanninc framework. On the palate, the wine is rich and unctuous, revealing intense licorice-like flavors. It can easily be kept 10 years or more.

 

 

Delas Crozes Hermitage Launes Rouge 2013
Price $22.50    Sale $19.80     Case $230

The village of Crozes-Hermitage lies just north of Hermitage proper. The appellation of Crozes-Hermitage is the largest in the northern Rhône valley, covering nearly 2,100 acres. The region consists of primarily Syrah grapes that are aromatic, rich and full-bodied. Delas has been buying grapes from family growers in this region for over 100 years.

The wine has a deep garnet red color. It is fruity on the nose with strong aromas of cassis, plums and a touch of violets. The tannic structure is ample and well-rounded, which assures good aging potential.

 

Delas Crozes Hermitage “Domaine des Grands Chemins” 2010 & 2013
Price: $41.25   Sale $36.30     Case $421

The Crozes-Hermitage "Domaine des Grands Chemins" is made from a blend of grapes that come exclusively from the Domaine des Grands Chemins, owned by Delas Frères. All the vineyard plots lie on benches known as "le Chassis," formed at the junction between the rivers Isère and Rhône. Production was 38,000 bottles for the 2006 vintage, the first release of this wine. Greater understanding of this site will enable a gradual increase in production. The Crozes-Hermitage vineyards are the largest of the northern Rhône appellations. In the Northern part, the soils are formed by the granite slopes that run on from those of Hermitage. The the South, soils are alluvial, stemming from glacier and river beds, with benches made up of rolled stones and silt from the Rhône river. Syrah is the main varietal grown, with Marsanne or Roussanne making up no more than 15 percent.

The color is deep, with a garnet hue deepened by purple tinges. The nose shows seductive whiffs of crushed black fruit - dark cherries, blackberries and blackcurrants - that evolve in the glass to reveal slightly smoky and licorice notes, typical of the "Chassis" area. In retro-olfaction, and on a mineral background, menthol and eucalyptus express their hints. In the mouth, the seriousness of the wine combines with its delicacy: the first impact is fresh and lively. The texture is tannic but intense, pulpy, almost silky. This truly balanced wine expresses a nice complexity, generous and true to the genuine terroir of the Domaine des Grands Chemins. The wine's structure, along with its aromatic persistence, gives it a great potential for laying down.

 

 

 

Delas Crozes Hermitage Le Clos 2010 & 2013
Price: $79.50   Sale $69.96     Case $811

The Crozes-Hermitage vineyards are the largest of the northern Rhône appellations. Syrah is the main varietal grown, with Marsanne or Roussanne making up no more than 15 percent. The Crozes-Hermitage "Le Clos" cuvée is a vineyard plot selection. The grapes come exclusively from the "Clos" vineyard on the choice plain area known as Chassis on the left bank of the Rhône. This wine is only made in the very best years and its production is deliberately limited to 7,000 bottles (750 ml) per year.

The Crozes-Hermitage "Le Clos" cuvée has a deep ruby red color, with garnet tinges. The nose shows aromas of stewed black fruit (cassis and blackberries). As it opens up, it reveals hints of leather and game. The palate is perfectly balanced, with a combination of suave delicacy and considerable volume. The finish is lifted by flavors of very ripe black cherries.

Delas St. Joseph “St. Epine 2013
Price: $108.00 Sale $95.04     Case $1101

This wine was reputed in the 16th century for its delicacy, and was poured at the table of the kings of France. It was the Jesuits (a monk community) of Tournon who gave the area its current name, in the 17th century. Between 1956 and 1969, all the vineyards from this area which used to be named "Côtes du Rhône" were regrouped and established under the appellation Saint-Joseph.

This cuvée is a vineyard plot selection. Grapes come exclusively from the plot known as "Sainte-Épine", a south-facing slope hillside on the commune of Saint-Jean de Muzols, in the heart of the Saint-Joseph appellation. It is only made in the very best years and its production is deliberately limited to 4,000 bottles (75 cl.) per year.

100% Syrah The wine has a deep ruby color with purple tinges. Its nose shows aromas of blackberries and spices, lifted by some mineral and gently wooded notes. Well concentrated, this has pure flavors that come to the palate in successive layers of varying aromas, all of equal intensity.

 

 

Delas Hermitage Les Bessards 2012 & 2013
Price: $225.00 Sale $198                    Case $2295

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 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.

 

 

 

Delas Cote Rotie La Landonne 2012
Price: $275.00 Sale $242.00   Case $2805

Delas Cote Rotie La Landonne 2013
Price: $343.50 Sale $302.28   Case $3504

This very ancient region dates back to the Roman Era and is located on the right bank of the Rhône. It is said that during the Middle Ages, "The Seigneur de Maugiron" gave a hillside to each of his two daughters - one was brunette and the other fair - thus, were born the names of "Côte Brune" and "Côte Blonde". Wines from the Côte Blonde tend to be more delicate and lighter in character than the fuller wines of the Côte Brune. Together they make a wine of style and substance.

This cuvée is a vineyard plot selection. The grapes come exclusively from a plot within the named slope of "La Landonne". This cuvée's first vintage was 1997. The wine is only made in the very best years. Its highly limited production never exceeds 2,500 bottles (75 cl.) per year.

The wine's deep color is underscored by plummy hues. A complex nose shows deep, fruity aromas with hints of licorice and roasted coffee. Endowed with a dense and silky tannic structure, this is a full, fleshy wine that provides an ample and generous palate. Its lasting finish speaks of considerable ageing potential.

 

 

Menu

Charcuterie Plate with cured meats, pate and a selection of Rhone cheese

 

 

This is a walk around tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

 

 

 

A bit of History about Delas Freres:
 
Delas Freres is a winery of tradition and renewal. Founded 160 years ago in the heart of the northern Côtes du Rhône, the winery enjoyed the dynamism of its original founders and their heirs and more recently, the renewed energy of the Lallier-Deutz family, owners of champagne house, Champagne Deutz.

Delas Freres and Champagne Deutz were acquired by the Champagne House of Louis Roederer in 1993. Andre Lallier retired from daily winery duties in 1996, and Fabrice Rosset, a 20-year executive with Roederer, has taken the helm at both Delas and Deutz.

Today, the Delas wines are crafted by a panel of experts headed by winemaker Jacques Grange. Together, the team makes wines that have been heralded for their intensity of flavor and excellent value.

The winery was updated in 1988 with new barrels and small wood barriques. These changes have made a remarkable difference, and critics have remarked on the improved quality of the wines, which tended to be hard, dry and tannic in the 1970s and 80s.

Delas is one of the largest landholders in the northern Rhône, and also has long-term agreements that date back decades with southern Rhône growers who provide additional grapes for its wines.

The majority of Delas Freres 50 acres of vineyard holdings are in Hermitage, and three abundant reds are made there from the Syrah grape, the classic varietal of the northern Rhône: Hermitage Les Bessards, Hermitage Marquise de la Tourette (red and white), and an Hermitage blend from several vineyards.

Other reds are made from grapes grown in Croze Hermitage, Chateauneuf du Pape, Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, Côtes du Rhône, and Côtes du Ventoux regions.

The winery was founded in 1835 when Charles Audibert and Philippe Delas bought Maisons Junique, a 40-year-old winery which they renamed Audibert & Delas. The houses reputation spread quickly worldwide as the winery brought home numerous awards from international competitions, notably a gold medal at Sydney in 1879.

Philippe Delas had two sons, Henri and Florentin. The latter married the daughter of Charles Audibert, further strengthening the bond between the two families. In 1924, the brothers succeeded to the founders and changed the name of the house to Delas Freres.

After World War II, under Florentins son Jean and thanks to the widespread apreciation of French wines, the family house experienced rapid growth. Jean visited new export markets following the brilliant success of Philippe Delas and Charles Audibert. To ensure a regular supply of the highest quality grapes to satisfy the growing demand, he extended the family holdings by purchasing a vineyard at Châteauneuf du Pape and enlarging the Hermitage vineyards.

When Jeans son Michel took control of Delas Freres in 1960, the winery had become one of the major houses in the Northern Rhone, where it owned and controlled vineyards in Hermitage, Cornas, Côte Rôtie, and Condrieu.

Applying stringent marketing policies, Michel Delas sold only products of unfailing excellence. His qualitative intransigence and commercial dynamism did not come without a price, and the firm found it required an immediate injection of capital. Michel approached another famous name in the wine world, Champagne Deutz. In 1977, Andre Lallier-Deutz, great-great-grandson of William Deutz, merged the two companies.

In 1981, the house moved to its current premises in Saint Jean de Muzols, a small village located two kilometers north of Tournon. The winery building, set amidst the vineyards of the St. Joseph appellation, covers more than 3000 square meters.

With a new team full of enthusiasm, determination, and dedication to long-term quality, Delas Freres is a winery to follow now and in the future.