Maison Delas Frères

Maison Delas Frères is one of the most prolific producers in the Northern Rhône. Claire Dernaud, the domaine’s Technical Director until 2021, had steered the wines to great heights in her decade at the helm. Delas Frères own 30 hectares of organically farmed vineyards which span Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage. They also buy grapes from long-standing and like-minded growers to boost their production. Claire is a master of her craft - she never uses more than 40% new oak, and her wines are some of the most refined you’ll find in the appellation. The domaine itself can be dated back to 1835 and has steadily acquired some of the most desirable plots in nearly every appellation in this part of the Rhône valley. While it started life family owned, it merged with Champagne House Deutz in the mid 1970s, before being bought by Champagne Louis Roederer, the house behind Cristal, in 1993. Their south-facing Domaine des Tourettes vineyard in Hermitage is planted with Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne, and their wines are rich and complex reflecting the skilled winemaking and the granite soils of the area.