2017 Delas Freres Hermitage Ligne de Crete Les Grandes Vignes
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Tasting notes
Opaque ruby. Ripe, smoke-accented blueberry and cassis aromas are complemented by suggestions of potpourri, licorice, bay leaf and olive paste. Deeply concentrated yet surprisingly energetic as well, offering palate-staining black and blue fruit, exotic spice, espresso and cracked pepper flavors that turn sweeter as the wine opens up. Chewy tannins frame a strikingly long, sappy finish that emphatically repeats the blue fruit and licorice notes.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Hermitage Les Grandes Vignes is slightly more sunny and exuberant, yet it still has the more reserved, mineral-laced style of all these wines, which I'm sure is the hallmark of this higher elevation, granite terroir. Blackberries, currants, scorched earth, peppered meat, and spice all emerge from the glass, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a balanced, layered mouthfeel and a beautiful finish. This classic Hermitage is going to benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and have 20-25 years of overall longevity.
The 2017 Hermitage Ligne de Crete Les Grandes Vignes is a forceful, muscular brute. Blueberries and blackberries dominate the nose, allowing just hints of the wine's stony underpinning and oak aging to seep through. Full-bodied and monochromatic, it demands a good 4-5 years in the cellar. In any event, readers will want to put it away to allow some of the copious tannins to resolve. The long, complex finish of mocha, olives and roasted meat suggests good things lie ahead for the patient.