2018 | Delas | Hermitage Lieu-dit Ligne de Crete

On the nose, discreet aromas of spices and leather come in a balanced palette of dark berries: blackberry, currant - with bewitching accents of flowers, liquorice and incense. Richness, complexity and delicacy are not mutually exclusive. Endowed with a beautiful minerality, all in elegance and finesse, the wine claims the nobility resulting from the most beautiful granite of the Hermitage massif. On the palate, the attack is rich and very dense. The wine is elegant, voluminous and tasty. The ripe, melted, well-integrated tannins contribute to a powerful and balanced structure. The flavors are reminiscent of the aromas observed on the nose. The palette is enhanced with notes of blueberry, black raspberry, violet and bitter chocolate. Structurally, harmony and balance are the main attributes of “Ligne de Crête”.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: While I've had multiple looks at previous vintages, this is my first review of the 2018 Hermitage Ligne de Crête Les Grandes Vignes. Inky in hue, it boasts powerful, brooding aromas that include hints of hardwood charcoal, dark berries, licorice, crushed stone and pencil shavings. Full-bodied and almost painfully intense, it's a huge, mouthfilling wine that seems capable of aging up to three decades. Rich, supple and creamy in texture, yet possessing remarkable length and retronasal nuance, it has to rank up there with some of the Hermitage hill's classics from other, more renowned producers. It certainly deserves a seat at that table and may be a candidate for a perfect score in the future.

• Wine Spectator: Plum paste, linzer torte and cassis notes give this a fruit-filled profile, while licorice, sweet spice and dark earth accents provide a solid background. There's a buried iron underpinning, and a late echo of singed alder on the finish. All of this feels seamless, thanks to an understated polish.

Producer Information

Founded over 160 years ago, Delas Frères was acquired by Champagne Deutz in 1977. Delas Frères cultivates vineyards on the steep granite slopes of the northern Rhône, in some of the region's most prestigious appellations. Additional grapes are supplied through long-term agreements with southern Rhone growers dedicated to providing only top quality grapes. Crafted by winemaker Jacques Grange to epitomize finesse and elegance, recent Delas Frères vintages from the vineyards of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Ventoux have won renewed praise for their intensity of flavor and excellent value.

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