Delas Freres Crozes-Hermitage "Domaine des Grands Chemins" 2022 (Rhone, France) - [JS 93] [JD 92]

Delas Freres Crozes-Hermitage "Domaine des Grands Chemins" 2022
(Rhone, France) - [JS 93] [JD 92]


$65.00 $49.97 Save $15.03
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JS93 JD92
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About the Winery:

The celebrated Delas Frères wine company was founded back in 1835. Since 1996, the spirit and soul that contributed to its reputation for high quality wines have been restored.
The company's new management has made important investments in the Saint-Jean-de-Muzols production site near Tournon-sur-Rhône.
Its highly-motivated team is proud to play its part in the revival of the quality of this venerable Rhône Valley wine company. A specially designed vat-house for the vinification of red wines, as well as a full restructuring of the ageing cellars, are among the new quality measures at Delas, all aimed at perpetuating and enhancing the expression of the Terroir.

 

About the Wine:

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.

Ratings & Reviews
93 Points - James Suckling: 
"Very fresh nose of dark fresh plum and summer flower aromas. Medium-bodied and well structured, with fine tannins carrying the long, lively and stony finish. From 20 hectares of estate vineyards, mostly planted in the early 1980s. A pure syrah matured 50% in stainless steel and 50% in Burgundian barrels, of which a quarter were new. Drinkable from release, but better from 2026." - JS (April 2024)

92 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"From select parcels throughout the appellation, the 2022 Crozes-Hermitage Vignes des Grands Chemins brings another level of concentration and richness. Black and blue fruits, game, spice, and floral nuances all define this ripe, sun-kissed, medium to full-bodied Crozes. It's beautifully balanced, has fine yet present tannins, and a great finish. It will keep for 10-12 years. Drink 2025-2037.<!--more-->Founded in 1835, Delas Frères is unquestionably one of the historic houses of the Northern Rhône and remains a major presence today, with 30 hectares of estate vineyards spread across Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, and Saint Joseph. The estate owns 10 hectares on the Hermitage hill, 18 hectares in Crozes-Hermitage, and 2 hectares in Saint Joseph. In Hermitage, Delas produces two flagship reds: Les Bessards, sourced exclusively from the granite soils of the Bessards lieu-dit, and Domaine des Tourettes, which is a blend of parcels including L'Hermite and Les Grandes Vignes. In addition, they created a new cuvée in 2015, Ligne de Crête Les Grandes Vignes, which comes from a specific selection of vines in the Grandes Vignes lieu-dit and is only produced in top vintages. The white Domaine des Tourettes Blanc comes primarily from Marsanne from the southern portion of Bessards and Les Grandes Vignes, which is unique as this is largely Syrah territory. In Côte Rôtie, La Landonne comes from what is unquestionably one of the greatest vineyards and is from very old vines, while Seigneur de Maugiron is a blend from both the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune sections of the appellation. The Sainte-Épine cuvée in Saint Joseph comes from vines just north of Tournon and is released only in top vintages. In 2020, Delas completed a new gravity-fed winery in Tain-l'Hermitage designed by architect Carl Fredrik Svenstedt. Since 1997, winemaker Jacques Grange has overseen production. A graduate of the University of Dijon and formerly with Michel Chapoutier, Grange has played a key role in elevating quality at Delas, and they're certainly firing on all cylinders today. (Drink between 2025-2037)" - JD (May 2025)