The 2023 Delas Saint-Esprit Côtes du Rhône Rouge is a Grenache and Syrah blend from the Rhône Valley, and the entry release from a house whose flagship wines come off the hill of Hermitage.
Delas Frères has traded from Tain-l'Hermitage since 1835 and has belonged to the Champagne house Louis Roederer since 1993. It owns around thirty hectares in the northern Rhône, ten of them on Hermitage itself, where bottles run into the hundreds of dollars. Since Jacques Grange took charge of winemaking in 1997 the entire range has been built around finesse rather than force, and that decision is what separates Saint-Esprit from most wines carrying a Côtes du Rhône label.
Deep plum in colour. The nose is unmistakably Syrah, with berry fruit, violet and liquorice. The palate is full and rounded, yet the tannins are fine and polished rather than gripping, finishing clean and even. A serious weeknight red made by a team whose day job is Hermitage.
Ben's Recommendation:
At Wine More Cellars, this is the Côtes du Rhône we reach for when someone wants something genuinely good under thirty-five dollars. Serve at 16–18°C, decanting briefly if you like. Drink now or hold for three to five years. Ideal with grilled lamb, beef ragu, roast pork, sausages, hard cheeses or anything from the barbecue.
