2005 Hermitage Blanc Marquise de la Tourette

Intense, spicy bouquet of peach, pear, clove, cinnamon and toasty meringue. Weighty and sweet, with deep pit fruit flavors and a gentle boost of acidity on the oaky finish. This seems ready to drink.

The 2005 Hermitage Marquise de la Tourette blanc (100% Marsanne that is barrel-fermented and aged in new oak) offers terrific fruit along with hints of white peach, marzipan, and hazelnut in a full-bodied, opulent, dense style, but is deceptively buttressed by considerable acidity, and not showing any oak whatsoever. ||The very talented Burgundian Jacques Granges continues to build on the success he has had at Delas Freres. He, along with the new owners, the Deutz-Roederer Champagne empire (they recently acquired Pichon-Lalande in Pauillac as well), have been responsible for the resurrection of Delas from a so-so negociant to one of the better sources of top-quality Rhones. And this has been done in less than a decade. 2004 is a classic vintage of structure and good balance, but too often lacking concentration. The 2005s are much more concentrated but also structured, tannic, and backward. Wine Advocate.April, 2007