The 2023 Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes is composed of around 80% fruit from the alluvial plains, complemented by grapes from Gervans and Larnage on granitic soils, and was matured partly in used barrels (around 20%). It opens with a bright bouquet of dark fruits and violet, offering a fresh and floral aromatic profile with notes of mulberry. Medium-bodied, juicy and elegant, it’s gourmand and immediately appealing, though not especially deep. More tense and structured on the palate than the nose suggests, it remains straight and well-defined, concluding with an ethereal finish.

The 2023 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine des Grands Chemins is produced entirely from estate-grown fruit on alluvial soils, matured with around 20% new oak and half in stainless steel. It opens with a deeper, more complex bouquet of dark fruits, fresh licorice and subtle spicy nuances. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and structured, it has good depth at the core, framed by precise, well-integrated tannins and a perfectly balanced palate. A slight oaky touch appears in the finish, yet the overall impression remains refined and well-crafted. This is a stunning wine.

The 2023 Cornas Chante Perdrix is composed of 80% fruit from the lieu-dit Saint-Pierre, complemented by around 20% whole clusters from a parcel situated below Les Reynards. It reveals aromas of violet, tapenade and dark berries, marked by an attractive hint of reduction that preserves freshness. Medium- to full-bodied, juicy and round, it’s fresh and gourmand, built around a finely textured tannic structure with a delicate grain. Reflecting a slow ripening, it combines floral nuance with precision and lift, concluding with an ethereal, finely delineated finish.

Notes of mulberries, pepper, iris and violet preface the 2023 Hermitage Ligne de Crête Les Grandes Vignes. Full-bodied, dense and concentrated, it is well balanced and built around a structured core of fruit framed by velvety, abundant tannins, concluding with a long, ethereal finish. Less dense than Les Bessards, it’s livelier and more precise, making it particularly well suited to the table.

Elegant, perfumed and racy, the 2023 Hermitage Les Bessards is the highlight of Delas’s range. Wafting from the glass with aromas of rose, lychee, grapefruit and violet, it’s dense and deep, built around perfectly controlled power and a structured core of fruit framed by abundant, sweet tannins that lead to a long, ethereal and precise finish. Combining telluric density with finesse and a notably tensile profile for Hermitage, this is one of the finest renditions of Les Bessards produced at this address.