2022 Hermitage Les Bessards
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The 2022 Hermitage Les Bessards shows the house style with its purity and finesse while still bringing beautiful Bessards' character. Cassis, crushed stone, burning embers, violets, and new leather notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins, a silky, seamless mouthfeel, ample tannins, and a great finish. It needs 4-5 years in the cellar and will keep for over two decades. Drink 2030-2050. 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.
Critic scores
Average Score
Alistair Cooper MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
This cuvée, as always, shines brilliantly at this address. The 2022 Hermitage Les Bessards releases aromas of licorice, spices, dark berries, cassis and mulberries. It boasts a full-bodied, dense and layered palate with a concentrated, fleshy fruit core, followed by filigreed and velvety tannins, leading to a pure, delicate, mineral and prolonged finish. The grapes were entirely destemmed, and the wine matured in barrels, 20% of which were new. This vintage of Les Bessards is shaping into a stunning bottle, exemplifying controlled power and a racy character.
The enticing 2022 Hermitage Les Bessards has vivid notes of orange rind, black cherry, cedar, raspberry compote, dried herbs and iodine arising from the glass. Spicy and complex, the full-bodied 2022 lands on the palate with remarkable intensity, sporting spot-on balance and outstanding length. At a mere 13.37% alcohol, this is by no means a bulldozer, focusing on athleticism and finesse.
Cask sample. Tasted blind. Aromas of soya, smoked meat and cedar. Plenty of tight tannins and a grippy feel on the mid palate, plenty of acidity here and a sense of freshness. Medium-bodied and should drink well relatively early. Good length and concentration. (AC)