Delas Frères 2023 Hermitage Ligne de Crête 750ml

Ligne de Crête takes its name directly from its genuinely exceptional location — the highest plot in all of Hermitage, perched at 325 meters at the western end of the hill, in a place called Les Grandes Vignes. The soil here is extremely poor, granitic, and shallow, subject to real climatic extremes, and at this altitude the vines grow slowly, bathed in intense light without excessive heat — conditions Delas Frères credits directly with producing Syrah that is genuinely "tense, mineral, and precise." The grapes come from vines aged 50 to 90 years, planted directly along the crest, where altitude and exposure bring what the estate calls "a rare aromatic elevation for Hermitage."

Thirty percent of the harvest is vinified as whole clusters, deliberately chosen to enhance freshness, structure, and aromatic complexity, with fermentation and maceration lasting roughly ten days, extraction gentle and concentrated in the early stages, adjusted daily based on individual vat tasting. Malolactic fermentation takes place in oak, followed by roughly 18 months of aging with new oak limited to just 30%, complemented by a further 18 months in stainless steel before bottling — a genuinely patient, multi-stage aging regime built specifically to preserve the wine's floral precision.

The critical reception here is genuinely extraordinary, anchored by a remarkable 99-point score from James Suckling, who asked directly: "how can a wine as powerful and concentrated as a great Hermitage have this mind-blowing finesse? The stony and wind-swept nature of this vineyard site is precisely reflected in this masterpiece of purity, delicacy and wild herb freshness," praising "the extraordinary mineral energy in the almost endless finish." The Tasting Panel's Meridith May scored the wine 96 Points, describing "a youthful, tense, and enigmatic red with a sauvage character that's musky and earthy," with "violets and aged prosciutto" entering "midway, joining tart cherry, plum skin, and a hint of umami." Jeb Dunnuck scored it 95-97+ Points, finding "ample blue fruits, violets, scorched earth, and huge minerality on the nose," describing "an incredibly lifted violet and floral character." Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, through Yohan Castaing, awarded 95+ Points, noting the wine is "livelier and more precise" than the estate's Les Bessards, making it "particularly well suited to the table." The Wine Palate's Lisa Perrotti-Brown scored the wine 95 Points, finding it "pops from the glass with vivacious notes of black cherries, red plums, and boysenberries." Delas's own official tasting notes describe "aromas of spice and leather intertwined with deep berry aromas (blackberry, redcurrant) and heady floral notes, liquorice and incense," the palate "rich and dense" with "blueberry, raspberry, violet and bitter chocolate," calling it "characterized by its exceptional structure, harmony and balance." This is genuinely one of the most extraordinary wines of the vintage — real proof of what Hermitage's highest, most demanding site can achieve in expert hands.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Delas Frères 2023 Hermitage Ligne de Crête is made entirely from Syrah, sourced from Les Grandes Vignes, the highest plot in Hermitage at 325 meters altitude, at the western end of the hill. The soil is extremely poor, granitic, and shallow, and the vines range from 50 to 90 years old.

Thirty percent of the harvest is vinified as whole clusters. Fermentation and maceration run roughly ten days, with gentle extraction adjusted daily based on individual vat tasting. Malolactic fermentation takes place in oak barrels, followed by approximately 18 months of aging (30% new oak), complemented by a further 18 months in stainless steel prior to bottling.

Critics Reviews

James Suckling — 99 Points (April 2025):
"How can a wine as powerful and concentrated as a great Hermitage have this mind-blowing finesse? The stony and wind-swept nature of this vineyard site is precisely reflected in this masterpiece of purity, delicacy and wild herb freshness. It's hard to put all this into words, most of all the extraordinary mineral energy in the almost endless finish. From a vineyard site with up to 320 meters altitude. Drink from release."

Meridith May, The Tasting Panel Magazine — 96 Points (July 2026):
"At an elevation of 1,066 feet, this plot, called Les Grandes Vignes, is the highest in Hermitage. It's yielded a youthful, tense, and enigmatic red with a sauvage character that's musky and earthy. Violets and aged prosciutto enter midway, joining tart cherry, plum skin, and a hint of umami on the back of the tongue."

Jeb Dunnuck — 95-97+ Points (February 2026):
"A bigger wine from this estate that comes from the Grandes Vignes lieu-dit at the top of Hermitage Hill, the 2023 Hermitage Ligne De Crete Les Grandes Vignes offers ample blue fruits, violets, scorched earth, and huge minerality on the nose. It's full-bodied on the palate, with an incredibly lifted violet and floral character, ripe tannins, ample mid-palate depth, and a great finish."

Yohan Castaing, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate — 95+ Points (May 2026):
"Notes of mulberries, pepper, iris and violet preface the 2023 Hermitage Ligne de Crête Les Grandes Vignes. Full-bodied, dense and concentrated, it is well balanced and built around a structured core of fruit framed by velvety, abundant tannins, concluding with a long, ethereal finish. Less dense than Les Bessards, it's livelier and more precise, making it particularly well suited to the table."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Palate — 95 Points (July 2026):
"Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2023 Hermitage Ligne de Crête pops from the glass with vivacious notes of black cherries, red plums, and boysenberries, followed by hints of peppered salami, rose bud tea, and wild thyme. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers fine-grained tannins and a lively line to match the youthful black and red berry layers, finishing long and savory."

Delas Frères (official tasting note):
"The nose discloses aromas of spice and leather intertwined with deep berry aromas (blackberry, redcurrant) and heady floral notes, liquorice and incense. The wine is rich and dense on entry to the palate, where it shows an elegant, broad and flavorsome character. The ripe, smooth and well-integrated tannins contribute to the wine's powerful yet harmonious structure. The palate reveals the same aromas as those found on the nose with nuances of blueberry, raspberry, violet and bitter chocolate."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Medium to deep garnet-purple. Spice and leather intertwined with blackberry and redcurrant, alongside heady floral notes, licorice, and incense, developing black cherry, red plum, boysenberry, and violet.

Palate
Rich and dense, with blueberry, raspberry, and bitter chocolate carrying elegant, broad flavor, framed by ripe, smooth, well-integrated tannin and extraordinary mineral energy.

Finish
Almost endless, closing long and savory — genuinely exceptional structure, harmony, and balance.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Pigeon with lingonberries
• Smoked duck breast
• Lamb tagine with gentle spices
• Game and rich, savory cuisine