Delas : François de Tournon 2018

A fine and silky Saint-Joseph wine

The estate

Founded in 1835, the Maison Delas Frères is a benchmark among the wines of the northern Rhône Valley. Its purchase by the Deutz Champagne House in 1977 marked the start of a new era; then the international development of the house followed, thanks to its acquisition in 1993 by the family Rouzaud, a majority shareholder of the Louis Roederer group.

Convinced that the essence of each wine comes from the huge geological and climatological diversity of the vineyards in the Rhône Valley, the Maison Delas is committed to making and ageing wine from its own plots as well as those belonging to its partners. The blend will reveal the deep characteristics of the wines of each appellation, creating all the richness of this paragon of northern Rhône Valley wines.

The vineyard

François de Tournon 2018 from Delas is a Saint-Joseph wine that comes from a blend of grapes from the terroirs of Vion, Saint Jean de Muzols, Mauves and Tournon. The vines are plants on soils lightly made up of schist and gneiss on a granite base and facing south/south-east.

Winemaking and ageing

After the harvest done by hand, traditional vinification was carried out in open concrete vats after two days of pre-fermentation cold maceration. Fermentation followed at a controlled temperature of 28-30°C. Treading the cap and hilling up were done daily over 10 days. The entire vatting period took 20 days. Ageing of this Rhône Valley wine in 1-3-year-old oak casks over 10-14 months. Part of the wine was aged in vats to preserve the freshness of the fruit.

Blend

Syrah (100%).

Characteristics and tasting tips for François de Tournon 2018 from Delas

Tasting

Colour
The wine is of a dark ruby red.

Nose
The nose gives delicate notes of blackcurrant and spices.

Palate
Soft and velvety, the palate entices with its lovely tannic structure, fine and silky.

Food and wine pairing

This wine goes marvellously with meats, spiced stews, grills, game and any cheese.