Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards
Rhône, France
Vintage:2019 (Past)
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Reviews
Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points
“My favorite release from this estate is consistently their Les Bessards Hermitage, and their 2019 is no exception. Coming from the western part and pure broken granite soils on the west side of this magical hill, it sports a dense purple hue to go with a brilliant perfume of cassis, graphite, scorched earth, burning embers, spring flowers, and peppery herbs. Incredibly complex, layered, and nuanced, with classic Hermitage characteristics, it still stays firmly planted in the ripe, sunny, sexy vintage. Full-bodied, concentrated, and structured on the palate, it has a wealth of tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. This is pure Hermitage magic that needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years and will evolve for 20-30 years in cold cellars. Hats off to the team at Delas for another incredible wine.”
The Wine Advocate 93+ Points
“While the 2019 Hermitage Les Bessards features classic notes of crushed stone and cassis on the nose and is nicely medium to full-bodied on the palate, it doesn't show the impressive richness and texture of either the 2018 or 2020. Black olives and dark berries are borne on a creamy palate, and the finish is silky and licorice tinged. Perhaps it was just at an awkward stage post-bottling, as it did seem to improve dramatically with air. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.”
Wine Spectator 97 Points
“This is loaded with dark and winey plum sauce, blackberry paste and fig compote flavors that glide through over notes of warm earth, sweet tobacco and anise. A subtle singed alder hint infuses the finish, along with a flicker of violet, while the fruit takes an encore. This shows seriously hefty fruit matched with a terrific underpinning of terroir. For the cellar. Best from 2024 through 2039. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.”
Overview
The Hermitage "Les Bessards" is named after a sub-region of the Hermitage appellation, where the steeply terraced hillside vineyards have an excellent southwestern exposure. Those vineyards produce some of the world’s most intense, dense wines from the rich Syrah varietal. Delas owns 25 acres in this prized region, a large amount by Rhône standards. This cuvée is a vineyard plot selection. The grapes come exclusively from the oldest plot within the renowned area of “Les Bessards” in the heart of the Hermitage slopes. This wine is only produced during the very best years and the production is deliberately limited to 6,000 bottles per year.
Winemaking
The soils are a combination of granite with alluvial quaternary delta deposits and Pliocene marl. This diversity explains the numerous names given to the various vineyard plots within the appellation: Bessards, Greffieux, Méal, Roucoule, Beaumes, etc. The vineyards are south-facing and protected from the north winds. The slopes are well exposed to the sun. Harvesting for “Les Bessards” is entirely manual and occurs when the grapes show optimum ripeness. Fermentation takes place in traditional, open-topped concrete tanks after two days of pre-fermentary skin contact at cool temperatures. Fermenting continues at controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F. Daily cap punching and pumping over are carried out for about 10 days, with a total maceration period of up to 20 days. Maturation lasts between 12 and 14 months in oak barrels, which are new or have already held one wine. These are regularly racked in order to provide the tannins with enough oxygen for an optimum maturing.
Tasting Notes
The wine is a brilliant, deep red hue with lots of depth. The nose shows great class, with soft aromas of blackberries and violets. Hermitage "Les Bessards" shows plenty of concentration in its fruit. This is a wine with a particularly dense tannic structure, and extremely good balance.
Food Pairing
This wine pairs well with red meats, game, and spicy stews. This wine needs at least three years cellaring before it can open up its complexity. After this time, it should be decanted before serving. It is recommended you open the bottle one to three hours before drinking.
Technical Information
Varietals: Syrah
Wine Alcohol: 14%