This 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.

Maison Delas chose the Côte Brune for its wine: preferring the nurturing Demeter to the opulent Venus. But there is a reason for this: Delas loves the character of the wines from this slope. They combine presence with restraint, they defy time and never take the easy route—all qualities that the Maison values. And, as if this was not enough, the Maison also decided to use Syrah as a single variety, even though the appellation allows them to blend in a small proportion of Viognier to soften the powerful Syrah. The careful management of the winemaking and the ageing are sufficient to smooth out the corners of their Côte-Rôtie, the soul of this Côte Brune. 

The soils of the northern part of the Côte Brune vineyard consists of extremely steep, terraced slopes of ferruginous mica schists which are covered with schist sand (arzel). La Landonne, a .7-hectare single-vineyard plot selection, is only produced in the very best years, never exceeding 2,500 bottles per year since the first bottling in 1997. 

The grapes for the La Landonne cuvée are picked by hand at maximum maturity. Fermentation takes place in traditional open-topped concrete tanks, following three days of pre-fermentation cold maceration. Before fermentation, the maceration process continues under controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F. Daily cap pushing down and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days with total vatting time of up to 20 days. The wine is aged for 14 to 16 months in new or one year old oak casks. The barrels are topped up regularly.

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.

2020 was a year of very dry weather over the spring and summer. The hot summer accelerated the ripening of the grapes and encouraged the formation of phenolic compounds (tannins, anthocyanins, etc.). The yields were very low but with their reduced growth from spring onwards, the general balance of the vines was such that, from late August, the team was able to harvest ripe, concentrated grapes with excellent aromatic potential, in which the granite expressed itself with greater austerity and power, requiring longer ageing.

This wine pairs wonderfully with fine meats, roasted beef, water games, truffles and spicy stews. The bottle should be opened 1 to 3 hours before drinking. This wine needs at least 3 years cellaring before it can open up its complexity. In such case it is strongly recommended to decant before serving.