2015 Crozes Hermitage Le Clos

A much smaller production cuvée, the 2015 Crozes-Hermitage Le Clos comes from the Les Saviots lieu-dit and is completely destemmed and raised in 30% new barrels. It offers more purity and focus, with terrific notes of blackberries, blueberries, graphite, crushed rocks and spice. Concentrated, tannic, and structured, yet beautifully concentrated, forget bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following decade. Delas Frères is located just outside of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols and has plenty of prime parcels spread throughout the entire northern Rhône Valley. The 2015s are the finest wines I’ve tasted from this estate since the 2010s, and if anything, the wines appear to be slightly more balanced and polished, with less obvious oak. The 2016s are less showy, yet have very classic, balanced profiles, and this is unquestionably another good vintage for this estate, which appears to be firing on all cylinders.

The 2015 Crozes Hermitage le Clos is the high-end Crozes bottling from Delas Frères, aged 14-16 months in French oak. Give it some time in the glass to open up if you try one soon, as it's tight and closed at first, gradually developing floral notes and showing more black cherry and blackberry fruit. In the mouth, it's velvety and concentrated, gradually fading on the finish into hints of licorice and black pepper. This medium to full-bodied 100% Syrah drinks well now (with air) but should evolve well for at least another decade.

Fruit from a single two-hectare vineyard that they buy on contract. Vibrant red fruit on the nose. Lovely floral fragrance – a much more delicate iteration of the appellation than their Grands Chemins, though still very much the result of a warm vintage with ripe, well-defined fruit. (RH)