Delas Hermitage Les Bessards 2020

Delas Hermitage Les Bessards 2020 showcases the great concentration, powerful tannic structure, and silky Syrah fruit of this exceptional site. The nose is a seductive blend of black berries and violets.

Les Bessards is one of the most famous parcels in Hermitage, located on the western side of the Hermitage hill, directly below the chapel that gives its name to Jaboulet’s “La Chapelle.” The soil consists of granite and sandy granite, which is typical of the Hermitage hill. Les Bessards produces one of the most powerful and structured Hermitage wines. Traditionally, blending from different parcels was essential. We used to spend hours in the cellar of Gérard Chave tasting the numerous parcels he vinified separately and then blended differently depending on the vintage—he is a true master of assemblage.

Recently, however, the trend has shifted: in great vintages with perfect ripeness—where nothing needs to be compensated through blending—there is a move toward producing even more expressive Syrah that captures the character of a single terroir.

After 2 days of cold maceration, Les Bessards ferments in open concrete vats for up to 20 days. During the first 10 days, extraction is enhanced through regular pigeage (punching down) and remontage (pumping over). Afterwards, Les Bessards is aged in new oak—either completely new or one-year-old barrels—and is bottled unfiltered.

Jeb Dunnuck counted it among the 18 best wines he tasted in 2024.

97-98 Josh Reynolds Vinous.com
97 Jeb Dunnuck jebdunnuck.com The 2020 Hermitage Les Bessards is a behemoth, with palate-saturating levels of fruit and texture while it still stays pure, focused, and mineral-laced, with a classic Hermitage personality. Blue fruits, truffle, burning embers, sappy spring flowers, and liquid rock-like notes all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ripe, polished, yet building tannins, and a gorgeous finish. As with all of Jacques’ wines today, there's a certain polish and accessibility, yet this incredible Hermitage deserves 5-7 years in the cellar, and I'd be shocked to see it not have 30 years of overall longevity

750 mL

14.0

Rhône Valley

Syrah

Sulphites

• Dry

France

Delas Frères, 40 Rue Jules Nadi, 26600 Tain-l'Hermitage, Frankreich