Delas Frères Crozes Hermitage Domaine des Grands Chemins

Rhône, France

Vintage:2019 (Past)

2017 (Past) | 2020 (Current)

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Delas Frères Crozes Hermitage Domaine des Grands Chemins 2019
  • JD 95
  • WS 93
  • WA 92+
  • VFTC 92

Reviews

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points August 11, 2022, Jeb Dunnuck

“Ripe red and black fruits, spice, leather, herbes de Provence, and some meaty nuances all emerge from the 2019 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Des Grands Chemins, a gorgeous Crozes that shines on all accounts. Medium to full-bodied and balanced, it has fine tannins, a notable sense of purity and freshness, and a great finish. It's the finest vintage for this cuvée I've tasted, and it will evolve for 10-15 years if well stored. While this comes from the Les Chassis region, it almost has a granite-like feel in its tannins and acidity. It's impressive!”

View From the Cellar 92 Points August 2022, John Gilman

“Maison Delas owns the Domaine des Grands Chemins and makes this wine solely from grapes grown on this estate, which lies in le Chassis. The wine is raised in a combination of stainless steel tanks and one and two wine Burgundy casks. The 2019 vintage of Grands Chemins comes in at 14.5 percent alcohol and offers up a very expressive bouquet of cassis, black raspberry, grilled venison, pepper, black olive, a lovely array of spice tones and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and complex, with a sappy core of fruit, fine soil signature, suave, moderate tannins and a long, poised and seamlessly balanced finish. This is drinking very nicely in its youthful guise and has the depth to also age gracefully. An excellent example of Crozes!”

The Wine Advocate 92+ Points January 20, 2022, Joe Czerwinski

“With yields cut 40% by hail, the 2019 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine des Grands Chemins is a concentrated, rich and velvety effort that should prove reasonably long-lived. Purple raspberries, black olives and blackberries mingle easily on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied and finishes with terrific length. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.”

Wine Spectator 93 Points November 15, 2021, James Molesworth

“Ripe, showing black licorice and dark plum notes wrapped around each other. This stays vivid and racy in feel, with a lively floral note and swath of dark earth as backdrop on the finish. Drink now through 2030.”

Overview

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. 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. In 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.

Winemaking

Grapes are hand-picked, plot by plot, at maximum levels of ripeness. Winemaking is traditional, with fermentation in open concrete tanks, following a cold-soaking. Daily cap-punching and pumping over provides extraction. The maceration phase lasts between 10 and 12 days. Maturing is conducted over a 14-month period, partly in tanks and partly in small Burgundian barrels that have already held one or two wines. Regular rackings introduce the necessary quantity of oxygen to round out the tannins.

Tasting Notes

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 "Le Chassis”. 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.

Food Pairing

This wine pairs well with red meat, feathered game and lamb in pastry.
 

Technical Information

Varietals: 100% Syrah