This is very refined, with a long beam of cassis, dark cherry and boysenberry fruit flavors that cut a pure path as sleek iron, violet and red tea nuances fill in around. A subtle mineral edge and a singed alder note peek through at the very end, with the fruit keeping pace along the way.
BOW (8.75)
The grapes used to make "Ligne de Crête" are grown in the highest-lying vines that Delas Frères owns and cares for on its own on the Hermitage hillside in the "Les Grandes Vignes" lieu-dit.
Soils :
Rock base of primary geological origins. This is where the layer of soil is at its thinnest and where the Syrah varietal is able to delve the furthest into the AOC's deep substrata.
Climate :
This parcel's altitude and moderately windy climate bring an element of coolness to the vines during hot summers.
Surface area under production : 2ha31
Grape varieties : 100% Syrah
Jancis Robinson (18.50)
100% Syrah. Cask sample.
Tasted blind. Sleek and vibrant primary fruit-led nose. There is a real sense of salinity to the richly textured palate – crushed blackberries and a plush, rounded mouthfeel. Beautifully judged fine tannins support the cool blue-fruit-laden finish. (AC)
Wine Enthusiast (97)
Whiffs of espresso, ore and charred meat mingle into thunderous flavors of crème de cassis and roasted plums in this wine. A single-site expression of Les Grandes Vignes from a ripe yet fresh vintage, it's a showstopping Syrah marked with a creamy texture and ripe tannins. Hermitage is not known for youthful pleasures but this rare bottling embraces the hedonism of adolescence along with its potential to gain power and complexity far beyond 2050.
