The Delas Cotes du Rhone Saint-Esprit Rouge 2015 is a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache sourced from vineyards in the Ardèche department near the towns of Saint-Julien and Saint-Alban in the Northern Rhone region of Southern France. Delas Freres is the winery and it was founded 160 years ago and is currently owned by the Champagne House of Louis Roederer. This blend is fermented and aged in stainless steel vats (8 months) and sees no oak barrel conditioning. Wines from the Northern Cotes du Rhone have more Syrah in the blend and Red wines from the South tend to have more Grenache. The Northern Rhone is a cooler growing region than the South due to the Mistral wind (it is very strong and very cold) coming in off the Mediterranean. The alcohol content is 14%.
The color is a dark, barely see-thru burgundy Red. The nose is fresh and clean, red berries, lightly floral with a hint of jammy strawberry. This is a wine with an excellent mouthfeel, very firm, the fine tannins and the acidity are definitely in the mix but are seamlessly blended with the fruit flavors. It starts with ripe blackberry and cherry, licorice and black pepper. The mid-palate blueberry, spice, and a touch of tobacco. The finish mirrors the body of the wine and lasts and lasts.
The Delas Cotes du Rhone Saint-Esprit Rouge 2015 is a bottle I found on sale (Binny’s) for $7.99, originally $11.99, it is a solid wine at the original price and it is a seriously good bargain at the sale price. It has the easy to like flavor of good Cote du Rhone wines, along with some excellent balance and structure. I get use to what balance and structure means in California and Washington wines in this price range and it is a joy to be reminded of the beauty of a well-made French wine.
