Delas Frères Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes
Rhône, France
Vintage:2019 (Past)
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Reviews
Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
“There are two Hermitage releases from this talented team. Looking at the 2019 Hermitage Domaine Des Tourettes, it offers a darker, more black-fruited, smoky profile revealing ample scorched earth, graphite, leather, and classic Hermitage meatiness. This carries to a medium to full-bodied beauty with a plush, layered mouthfeel, plenty of tannins, terrific overall balance, and a great finish. Given its wealth of fruit and sweet tannins, it's already drinkable, yet smart money will give these just 4-5 years in the cellar and enjoy bottles over the following two decades. As always, this cuvée comes from three separate parcels: l'Ermite, Les Bessards, and Le Sabot, and it was destemmed and brought up in a mix of new and used French oak.”
View From the Cellar 94 Points
“The 2019 Hermitage “Domaine des Tourettes” from Maison Delas hails from parcels of vines in the lieux à dits of l’Ermite, les Bessards and le Sabot. The wine is fermented in traditional cement vats and then aged in a combination of new and one wine barrels prior to bottling. The wine offers up a superb bouquet of red and black raspberries, smoked meats, a gorgeously complex base of Hermitage soil tones, pepper, hickory smoke, a touch of coffee, a bit of cedary oak and a lovely array of gentle spice tones in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and powerful in personality, with a rock solid core of fruit, excellent mineral drive and grip, ripe, firm tannins and a long, complex and fairly warm finish. This comes in at a full fifteen percent octane in this vintage and consequently, is a bit heady on the backend, but also nicely balanced and I have the gut feeling that it is going to age very nicely, despite its high alcohol level.”
Wine & Spirits 96 Points, Top 100 Wines of the Year
“A blend of fruit from the lieux-dits Les Bessards, Le Sabot and L’Ermite, this 2019 draws together a picture of the Hermitage hill in all its grandeur and complexity. At its center, it’s bright and juicy, filled with ripe berry flavors; around the edges, it’s stony and firm, with herbal notes that accent its cool reserve. It shows some vanilla and spice tones from its time in oak (a mix of new and barrels) but the fruit handles it well, absorbing it into a warm, rich density of flavor. This should age well for 20 years or more.”
The Wine Advocate 92 Points
“Similar in construction to the 2018, the 2019 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes features scents of crushed stone, redcurrants, cherries and vanilla up front, then backs those with a creamy, lush, medium to full-bodied palate that lacks the muscle often associated with this appellation. That said, it shows bolder notes of licorice, blackberry and mocha on the long, velvety finish. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.”
Wine Spectator 94 Points
“Ripe, fresh, bright and pure, with a racy-edged mix of plum sauce, cherry preserves and blackberry paste flavors underscored with mouthwatering anise, apple wood and sweet tobacco notes. The long finish flows nicely, and this flirts with approachable already, but there's no rush. Drink now through 2034.”
Decanter 93 Points
“Good sense of freshness and intensity with fine tannins and rather high alcohol. Good impact however, and a long finish. Tannins are very fine, and although it doesn't have the potential complexity of some in this vintage, it has the stature and concentration you would expect.”
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 6 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. This diversity explains the numerous names given to vineyard plots within the appellation: Bessards, Greffi eux, Méal, Roucoule, Beaumes, etc. 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/maceration period is about 20 days. After devatting and pressing the skins, maturation is done in French oak barrels.
On 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
Wine Alcohol: 15%