With a ripe profile, the 2023 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne unfurls from the glass with a complex, delicate and racy bouquet of tapenade, spices, dark berries and pepper. Medium- to full-bodied, structured and concentrated, it’s built around a lively, tensile core of fruit framed by filigreed, sweet tannins that lead to a long, beautifully spicy and ethereal finish. Combining power and precision, it marries the telluric force of the terroir with precise tannins and a silky mouthfeel that has become a hallmark of Delas’s style in recent years.

The 2023 Côte-Rôtie Seigneur de Maugiron is the inaugural vintage to be matured in 25-hectoliter foudres. Entirely destemmed, it reveals aromas of tapenade, black olive, spices and dark berries, with notes of gentian and licorice adding complexity. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and structured, it’s underpinned by fine acidity, offering depth and a subtle, well-integrated oak influence. Mineral and precise, it concludes with a long, structured finish.

The 2023 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes is more spicy than most wines in the Delas range, revealing aromas of licorice, thyme, timut pepper and a hint of grapefruit alongside dark fruit. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and fleshy, it’s deep and structured, supported by a lively line of acidity that brings a welcome sense of freshness for the appellation. Long and precise, it concludes with a delicate, persistent finish.

Another highlight in Delas’s range, the 2023 Saint-Joseph Sainte-Épine is deeply impressive, revealing aromas of mulberries, cassis, menthol, spices and dark wild berries. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, it’s layered and precise, framed by fine-grained tannins and enlivened by a vibrant core of fruit, concluding with a long, precise and ethereal finish. Entirely destemmed and matured in barrels, of which 25% are new, it will require time in the cellar to reach its full potential.

One of the pleasant surprises in the Delas range, the 2023 Crozes-Hermitage Le Clos is crafted from the lieu-dit Saint-Georges, on the final terraces before the Rhône, encompassing some six hectares enclosed by walls. It opens with a slightly reductive bouquet that gives way to aromas of cassis, nectarine and blackberry. Medium- to full-bodied, juicy and deep, it offers excellent structure and substance, built around a long, sustained mid-palate framed by finely chiseled, elegant tannins. This is a real success.