Delas : Domaine des Grands Chemins 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Domaine des Grands Chemins 2023 by Delas

Tasting

Colour

The wine reveals a deep, intense garnet hue with violet highlights, a sign of fine concentration and a youthfulness that is still very much present.

Nose

The nose opens with aromas of jammy black fruit, black cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant, subtly enhanced by smoky notes and liquorice. With aeration, an underlying minerality gives way to delicate touches of eucalyptus and menthol.

Palate

The attack is fresh and lively, carried by a lovely vibrancy. The palate is full-bodied and dense, with an almost silky texture in which finesse and generosity blend harmoniously. The whole displays a confident structure and a long aromatic persistence.

Food and Wine Pairing

This wine is ideally suited to red meats, feathered game and lamb en croûte. Its tannic structure and savoury character also make it an excellent companion to braised or grilled meats with aromatic herbs.

Serving and Cellaring

Domaine des Grands Chemins 2023 has an ageing potential of around 8 years, meaning it is ideally enjoyed until approximately 2031.

A Refined Crozes-Hermitage from Domaine des Grands Chemins, Grown in the Chassis Terroir

The Estate

Founded in 1924 when Henri and Florentin Delas established the house of Delas Frères, the estate was built on a legacy of Rhône wine trading that began as early as 1835. Located in the heart of the northern Rhône Valley, it now belongs to the Louis Roederer Group, which acquired it in 1993. Led by a technical team headed by Jacques Grange, the house has committed to a demanding environmental approach, following sustainable farming practices, and has held HVE level 3 certification since 2018.

The Vineyard

Domaine des Grands Chemins extends across the alluvial terraces of the Chassis area, in the Crozes-Hermitage appellation, formed at the confluence of the Rhône and the Isère. The soils, made up of rounded pebbles, silts and fertile clays sometimes covered by a thin layer of loess, offer the vines a setting that is both harsh and generous, bathed in sunshine and refreshed by the Mistral. The plots were selected for the singularity of their soil, exposure and altitude.

The Vintage

The 2023 vintage was marked by a pronounced winter drought, followed by a milder spring that enabled the vines to better withstand the intense summer heat. These conditions resulted in limited yields, but the harvest, which began in late August, delivered healthy, well-concentrated grapes.

Winemaking and Ageing

For the production of Domaine des Grands Chemins 2023, the grapes are harvested by hand into palox bins, then stored in a cold room before being transferred to vat. After destemming, the berries are moved by gravity into truncated conical stainless steel tanks. Gentle extraction takes place mainly at the start of fermentation, through precisely measured pump-overs and punch-downs. Half of the wine is aged in barrels for around 12 months, 20% of which are new oak, and the other half in stainless steel tanks, followed by a further 9 months of maturation before bottling.

Grape Variety

This wine is made from 100% Syrah.