Delas Frères Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes

Rhône, France

Vintage:2020 (Current)

2017 (Past) | 2019 (Past) |

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Delas Frères Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes 2020
  • JD 95-97
  • VFTC 95
  • V 94-95
  • D 94
  • WS 92

Reviews

View From the Cellar

95 Points

September 2023, John Gilman

“The Domaine des Tourettes bottling of Hermitage from Maison Delas Frères is made from fruit sourced in the two lieux à dits of les Bessards and les Grandes Vignes. The wine is fermented in cement vats and raised in oak barrels, with one-third of the casks renewed each year. The 2020 version comes in at 14.5 percent octane and delivers a deep and sappy bouquet of cassis, black raspberries, pepper, smoked meats, a beautiful base of soil tones, a touch of dark chocolate, a stylish foundation of nutty oak and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still quite primary in personality, with bottomless depth at the core, ripe, buried tannins, fine focus and grip and a long, complex and very well-balanced, youthful finish. This has the plushness of fruit of its hot summer, but the wine is fresh and shows no signs of sur maturité. It will need plenty of cellaring time to soften up its undercarriage of tannin. 2036-2085.”

Wine Spectator

92 Points

February 28, 2023, James Molesworth

“Ripe, fresh and sleek, with a beam of dark cherry and red currant fruit driving through, laced gently with singed apple wood, savory and violet notes along the way. The fruit keeps a steady presence through the focused finish, while an iron note develops. Best from 2023 through 2035.”

Vinous Media

94-95 Points

December 2022, Josh Raynolds

“Inky ruby. Smoke- and mineral-accented black and blue fruits, violet, licorice and an olive nuance on the deeply perfumed nose. Stains the palate with intense cherry, blueberry and fruitcake flavors that are sharpened by a spicy touch of cracked pepper. Youthfully chewy tannins frame an impressively long, penetrating finish that leaves candied dark berry and floral pastille notes behind. These are still young days for this wine but, as usual, it already screams "Hermitage".”

Jeb Dunnuck

95-97 Points

February 16, 2022, Jeb Dunnuck

“An incredibly consistent wine, you can never go wrong with the Domaine des Tourettes release from Delas. Inky hued, with a great nose of pure cassis, crushed rocks, camphor, new leather, and hints of bacon fat, the 2020 Hermitage Domaine Des Tourettes hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, layered texture, beautiful depth on the mid-palate, and velvety tannins. Aromatically, it's not far off the Bessards cuvée, yet it's more plush and up-front on the palate. It will benefit from just 4-5 years of bottle age and should have decades of longevity. It's another totally brilliant wine from this talented team.”

Decanter

94 Points

September 30, 2021, Matt Walls

“The oak spice is quite forthright on the nose, then you sink down into the plush, juicy fruit. Like sitting into a well-stuffed leather armchair, it's comfortable on the palate, but there's some pleasing resistance. Juicy and ripe, with a slick of soft, pliable tannin. This is opulent and finishes long. The oak spice is generous, but it works well with the rich style.”

Overview

Known as Domaine Marquise de la Tourette until 2008, Domaine des Tourettes is the first wine to be produced by Delas Frères exclusively from the 24 acres that are farmed on the famous hill that overlooks the town of Tain. This cuvée is a blend of wines from 5 acres of Les Grandes Vignes lieu-dit, located at the top of the hill, and 17 acres in the Les Bessards lieu-dit.

Domaine des Tourettes combines the influences of this exceptionally potent terroir, bringing together pure granite with splinters of decomposed rocks and the richer, deeper alluvial deposits. 

Winemaking

The soils are a combination of granite with alluvial quaternary delta deposits, and Pliocene marl. The vineyards are south-facing and are protected from the north winds. The slopes are well exposed to the sun. The estate’s vineyards are all harvested by hand when the grapes achieve optimal maturity. Vinification takes place in traditional, open-topped concrete tanks following two days of skin contact at cool temperatures. Maceration continues at controlled temperatures between 82°F and 86°F. Cap punching and pumping over take place daily for about 10 days. The total fermentation and maceration period is about 20 days. After devatting and pressing the skins, maturation is carried out in French oak barrels (one-third new) for 18 to 20 months. 

In 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.

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.

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.

Technical Information

Varietals: 100% Syrah