Not alas for Delas’wines, but rather a big CONGRATULATIONS in their beautiful wine-tasting cellar. After Paul Jaboulet Aîné, this is the second part of the classics of Rhone Valley: Delas Frères’ house in Saint-Jean-de-Muzols !
Not some troubles as soon as you cross the entrance in this nest. The labels fly and cover your head of their halo, to remind you that from Côte-Rôtie to Cornas, the Delas’ house produces some wines of artists, turned to wine by their cares ! Then from Grignan-les-Adhémar to Ventoux, it’s a trade of artist, especially for Gigondas and Vacqueyras. Anyway, unfortunately or thanks to, Delas was bought by Deutz in 1977, then by Roederer in 1997.
Once entered, you lean, ready to be regaled by the viognier and the syrah ! The tone is set by Joan Berthon (or Bruno Gonnet), your humble servant for a moment of happiness.
The Launes 2012 (Crozes-Hermitage) opens the dance with a floral touch, not forgetting to be structured and fresh in your palate and a lemony surprise to the nose. It’s 13,20€ for this attractive 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne. Then starts my passing romance with the “Domaine of Tourettes” (Hermitage, 2012).
This 100% Marsanne from the “Clos of the Prisonniers”, leads you in a brioche intensity, inhaled by your little nice nose, before that this buttered toast was eaten by a marvelled palate, by a balance of the acidity !
But for the same price (44€), this romance is replaced by the class of a 100% Viognier of Clos Boucher (2012), in the north of Chateau-Grillet. To the nose or the palate, it’s a festival, no, a delight where the structure of the bread and matures fruits are combined with a freshness length. This tauted end gives balance and harmony. In brief, a Condrieu as a dream !
By the way, thank you to my godfather, who granted my wishes on the road of the valley. All the AOC were tasted, to make up you with the viognier, and me with the sugary wine 😉 Indeed, the Muscat of Beaumes de Venise 2012 oozes exotics fruits and embraces you of its smoothness, staying cool and digestible ! Sorry if there isn’t a rhyme but for 14,4€, in its category, I am ready to pay the tithe !
Now, we are moving for the red wines ! We are in the fiefdom, so le’s start by a Saint-Joseph. The purplish-blue reflection lets escape some peppery notes, for a red wine with…red fruits. But this 2012 “les Challeys” (16,8€) stays closed…we have to wait. Just as the “Domaine des Grands Chemins” (Crozes-Hermitage, 2010), which would be not really wholesome to swallow if we are not patient, by its excessive and heavy animal nose and palate (19,62€). Then, for the moment, it’s a deception after the amazing score of their white wines. But Joan doesn’t break down and presents his secret weapon…
The Saint Esprit (Côtes-du-Rhône, 2012) makes up me by fruity length. Gourmet and gourmand, cool and peppery, it’s easy to knock back and for 7,80€, easier to spend ! It’s beautiful when the syrah is getting married with the grenache…
But the purists insist on the radiance of the syrah. So,the Hermitage is the best heritage of that, and the Tourettes a truely star ! (2011) To the nose, pure liquorice and blackberries hauls themselves and to drink these black fruits with liquoriced wood restore you the hope…Now or better later, you will consume a nectar (44,4€).
Reading me, you guess my liking for Delas’ white wines, giving soul back to you more stubborn and the writing less hard. Thank you to the oenologist Jacques Grange for this epilogue…
