Delas Frères Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes Blanc
Rhône, France
Vintage:2021 (Current)
Tech Sheet Download Download PDF with Scores Download PDF without Scores
- TNWR
- JS
- WE
- JD
- D
Reviews
Wine Enthusiast
94 Points
December 31, 2023, Anna-Christina Cabrales
“The nose is seduced by aromas of wild strawberries, purple plums, garrigue and damp earth. The palate provides additional complexity with layers of cassis, clove and stone. Youthful tannins beautifully integrate and are balanced by acidity, allowing this wine to be enjoyed now or cellar well through 2030+ before revisiting.”
The New Wine Review
96 Points
November 2023, Anna Lee C. Iijima
“While the nose of this textbook Marsanne opens with delicate whiffs of quince and apple, it builds on the palate with rich, creamy swirls of banana cream and lemon custard. Touches of garrigue and bitter almond lend savoriness. A plump, powerfully concentrated wine with a soft, sunny acidic balance, it’s still far from peak. Allow time for a long decant if approaching young.”
JamesSuckling.com
96 Points
April 27, 2023, James Suckling
“A rich and texturally complex white Hermitage with some melted butter and butterscotch character. However, there's also stacks of dried citrus peel, plus some toast. Lots of power and concentration on the imposing palate. The stony finish is still firm and tightly wound, this having been made for long ageing. A pure marsanne that was entirely barrel fermented and matured with about a quarter of new oak. Drink or hold.”
Decanter
92 Points
March 5, 2023, Matt Walls
“Toasty vanilla and creamy ripe fruit on the nose. The palate is rich and opulent with weighty stone fruit concentration. Juicy acidity lingers on the lengthy finish.”
Jeb Dunnuck
94 Points
December 15, 2022, Jeb Dunnuck
“Looking at the two Hermitage Blancs, the 2021 Hermitage Domaine Des Tourettes Blanc is beautiful, with a classic bouquet of buttered quince, honeyed almonds, white flowers, and chalky minerality. Medium-bodied, perfectly balanced, and elegant, it brings terrific depth and concentration, especially given the vintage. It should evolve for 10-15 years.”
Overview
The Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes is the first wine to be produced by Delas Frères exclusively from the 8.5 hectares that are farmed on the famous hill that overlooks the town of Tain. This wine replaced the Marquise de la Tourette cuvée starting with the 2009 vintage.
The Hermitage appellation is one of the greatest in the northern Rhône 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.
This cuvée is a blend from three different terroirs: L'Ermite, le Sabot and La Tourette, with an average production of around 5,000 bottles per year.
Winemaking
The harvest is carried out by hand in two stages. The juice is pressed by separating the free-run wine and the press wine. After a light racking, the must is put into barrel (new barrels, or used previously for one or two vintages) in order for the alcoholic fermentation to take place. With the aim of perserving the wine's freshness on the finish, malolactic fermentation is sometimes carried out only partially.
The wines are fermented in barrel for 9 to 12 months, on their lees, with the lees regularly stirred up. Two months before bottling the wine is blended, after which it is stelled and racked into a tank so that the different elements have time to become balanced and harmonious before going into bottle.
Tasting Notes
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.
Food Pairing
This wine pairs well with cheese, white meats such as chicken with morilles mushrooms or quail with truffles, as well as fish such as grilled sea bass with citrus fruit.
Technical Information
Varietals: 95% Marsanne, 5% Roussanne
Aging: 9 to 12 months in barrel with regular stirring of the lees