1999 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards

I was blown away by the 1999 Hermitage les Bessards, and I seriously considered adding another point or two to the score. One of the most complex, classic and multidimensional in the lineup, it offers lots of crushed rock-like minerality, smoked black fruits, spice and licorice aromas and flavors. These give way to a full-bodied, deeply concentrated, layered and perfectly balanced wine that had me wishing it was the end of the day so I could drink the whole glass. It's a gorgeous wine to enjoy anytime over the coming 15-20 years.

Colour relatively light ruby with lots of evolution. Savoury nose – rather appealing but somehow fossilised. Not the deepest Hermitage example. Long and neat. Surprisingly forward. (JR)

The titan of Delas's portfolio is their luxury cuvee, Hermitage Les Bessards. There are 500 cases of this offering, made from 70-year old Syrah vines in the famed Les Bessards vineyard (the dominant component of Chave's great Hermitages). The compelling 1999 Hermitage Les Bessards exhibits an opaque purple color along with an extraordinary bouquet of blackberry fruit, creme de cassis, creosote, and minerals. The wine is full-bodied, with great purity as well as palate presence. This super-extracted, rich yet backward 1999 spent 23 months in barrel prior to being bottled without fining or filtration. Readers should be forewarned, this wine is only for those with considerable patience. It is revealing even more structure and muscle than it did last year. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035. This is a good commercial example. The significant difference in quality between the outstanding 1999 northern Rhone vintage and the above average yet essentially correct 2000 is dramatically evidenced in Delas's wines. The 2000 red offerings reveal charming ripeness, but also the vintage's softness, lightness, and lack of depth. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate # 140.