Special Offer: Delas Crozes Hermitage 91pt WA & WS $19.95

We have quite a Special Offer for you today as we have Delas Crozes Hermitage Les Launes 2009. This was given 91 points by both Wine Advocate (Feb 2011) and Wine Spectator. Robert Parker called this a "Sleeper of the Vintage" and a "Great Value".  Parker also added that this is the finest Delas Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes ever made. As an added bonus we are one of the first in the nation to have the 2010 Delas Crozes Hermitage Les Launes for you as well. This is an Extremely Limited Release. We will have special pricing for you on both vintages at $19.95.

This weekend we will have Special Offers from a Legendary Producer of White Burgundy and a 95pt Syrah that will totally knock your socks off as it should be priced 3 times more. This goes up against Sine Qua Non and Saxum but at a much better price.

We will also have Sal Furfari from Bacchus Importers with us on Saturday from 2-5pm tasting a wonderful lineup of wines and specials.

Delas Freres

Delas Freres is a winery of tradition and renewal. The winery was founded in 1835 when Charles Audibert and Philippe Delas bought Maisons Junique, a 40-year-old winery which they renamed Audibert & Delas. The houses reputation spread quickly worldwide as the winery brought home numerous awards from international competitions, notably a gold medal at Sydney in 1879.

Philippe Delas had two sons, Henri and Florentin. The latter married the daughter of Charles Audibert, further strengthening the bond between the two families. In 1924, the brothers succeeded to the founders and changed the name of the house to Delas Freres.

After World War II, under Florentins son Jean and thanks to the widespread apreciation of French wines, the family house experienced rapid growth. Jean visited new export markets following the brilliant success of Philippe Delas and Charles Audibert. To ensure a regular supply of the highest quality grapes to satisfy the growing demand, he extended the family holdings by purchasing a vineyard at Châteauneuf du Pape and enlarging the Hermitage vineyards.

When Jeans son Michel took control of Delas Freres in 1960, the winery had become one of the major houses in the Northern Rhone, where it owned and controlled vineyards in Hermitage, Cornas, Côte Rôtie, and Condrieu.

Applying stringent marketing policies, Michel Delas sold only products of unfailing excellence. His qualitative intransigence and commercial dynamism did not come without a price, and the firm found it required an immediate injection of capital. Michel approached another famous name in the wine world, Champagne Deutz. In 1977, Andre Lallier-Deutz, great-great-grandson of William Deutz, merged the two companies.

In 1981, the house moved to its current premises in Saint Jean de Muzols, a small village located two kilometers north of Tournon. The winery building, set amidst the vineyards of the St. Joseph appellation, covers more than 3000 square meters.

Today, the Delas wines are crafted by a panel of experts headed by winemaker Jacques Grange. Together, the team makes wines that have been heralded for their intensity of flavor and excellent 

value.

The village of Crozes-Hermitage lies just north of Hermitage proper. The appellation of Crozes-Hermitage is the largest in the northern Rhône valley, covering nearly 2,100 acres. The region consists of primarily Syrah grapes that are aromatic, rich and full-bodied. Delas has been buying grapes from family growers in this region for over 100 years.

The grapes used for the Crozes-Hermitage "Les Launes" grow in a wide range of terroirs, from alluvial soil in flatland terrain to chalky soil covered with pebbly granite. At harvest, the grapes are handpicked at optimum ripeness and 100 percent de-stemmed. Fermentation takes place at controlled temperatures of 82 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in open concrete tanks.

The 2009 vintage offers a nice overview of the quality of wines of this trade, particularly in Crozes Hermitage, known for its wines of pleasure where elegance, roundness and fruit prevail. Wine, clear, boasts a lovely intense garnet color, with purple tints. The nose offers good intensity a pleasant bouquet with aromas of cassis, plum, violet and pepper. The mouth has a nice roundness from the attack, with a soft material, enhanced by soft tannins and for bringing a lot of charm to the whole . Well balanced, with aromas dominated by flavors of black fruit, violets and spice. wine, pleasant and elegant, ending with a final soft and fresh. Beautiful wine at the right price-pleasure ratio.

Delas Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes 2009

The wine has a deep garnet red color. It is fruity on the nose with strong aromas of cassis, plums and a touch of violets. The tannic structure is ample and well rounded, which assures good aging potential. It is recommended with game, grilled and rich foods.

Wine Spectator 91 Points: "Stylish, with lots of mocha, spice and black tea aromas backed by velvety-textured blackberry and raspberry fruit. The long, suave finish stretches out nicely, with the fruit and spice hanging on. Drink now through 2014."

 

Wine Advocate- Robert Parker 91 Points Feb 2011: "The red wines include the already bottled, fruity, rich 15,000-case cuvee of 2009 Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes. An amazing bargain, it is the finest wine they have yet produced under this moniker. Seductive notes of black cherries, cassis, licorice, tobacco leaf and pepper are followed by an opulent, consumer-friendly but authentic Northern Rhone to drink over the next 5-6 years."

 

Wine Advocate- Robert Parker 90 Points Dec 2011: "The finest Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes to date is the 2009. Its dense purple color is accompanied by sweet strawberry and black cherry fruit notes intermixed with hints of tobacco leaf, licorice and smoke (even though this cuvee is all tank-fermented and aged.). A sleeper of the vintage as well as a great value, it should drink well for a decade."

Bonus:

Delas Crozes Hermitage Les Launes 2010
Be one of the first in the nation to get the 2010 Vintage. Currently this is an Extremely Limited Release.