Rhône producer with Hermitage holdings and named Cornas, Saint Joseph and Condrieu wines.
The producer
Delas Frères brings Hermitage, Cornas, Saint Joseph and Condrieu into one Rhône range. Its Hermitage holdings include Les Bessards, L'Hermite and Les Grandes Vignes. Saint Joseph François de Tournon comes from schist and gneiss over ancient granite, while Cornas Chante-Perdrix is hand harvested plot by plot. In its youth, Chante-Perdrix shows blackcurrant, then moves toward pepper and liquorice with time. Condrieu La Galopine carries violets, apricots, peaches, honey and dried fruit, with fine lees ageing.
Known for
Hermitage, Cornas and Condrieu wines
Notable facts
Delas Frères was founded in 1835 when Charles Audibert and Philippe Delas purchased the Maison Junique wine merchant in Tournon-sur-Rhône.
In 1924, Henri and Florentin Delas renamed the company Delas Frères.
Delas owns 6 hectares of prime vineyard land on Les Bessards, with plots in L'Hermite and Les Grandes Vignes.
Cornas Chante-Perdrix is aged 12 to 14 months in oak barrels.
The story
From Junique to Delas
In 1835, Charles Audibert and Philippe Delas purchased the Maison Junique wine merchant in Tournon-sur-Rhône. In 1924, Henri and Florentin Delas took over the company and renamed it Delas Frères. The family name replaced Maison Junique on the business. From 1952, barrels of wine were shipped to London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Geneva and the United States. The company named each destination individually, from four European cities to the United States. The barrels connected the merchant house in Tournon-sur-Rhône with those five named destinations.
From the atlas
Delas Frères
Delas Frères is a Rhône producer with Hermitage vineyard holdings and named red and white wines made through concrete tank fermentation, oak ageing and fine lees ageing.
At A Glance
Range
Red and white Rhône wines
Appellations
Hermitage, Saint Joseph, Cornas and Condrieu
Hermitage sites
Les Bessards, L'Hermite and Les Grandes Vignes
Signature bottles
Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes, Cornas Chante-Perdrix and Condrieu La Galopine
Cellar details
Concrete tanks, oak barrels and fine lees
The Producer
Delas Frères is a Rhône producer with named Hermitage holdings and a range of red and white cuvées. Its bottles include Cornas Chante-Perdrix and Condrieu La Galopine, placing a Cornas red and a Condrieu white alongside the Hermitage wines. The range combines vineyard names, appellation names and distinct cellar choices, from concrete tank fermentation to oak ageing and fine lees ageing.
Place
Delas's Hermitage holdings include 6 hectares on Les Bessards, with additional plots in L'Hermite and Les Grandes Vignes. Domaine des Tourettes lies on south-facing slopes with granite, alluvial quaternary delta deposits and Pliocene marl. Saint Joseph François de Tournon is rooted in light schist and gneiss over ancient granite bedrock. The named places carry vineyard names into the appellation labels.
Wines
Delas's red range includes Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes, Saint Joseph François de Tournon and Cornas Chante-Perdrix. Condrieu La Galopine is the white wine in the range. Domaine des Tourettes spans almost 10 hectares within the Hermitage AOC and undergoes two days of skin contact before fermentation in open-topped concrete tanks at 82 to 86°F.
Cornas Chante-Perdrix is hand harvested plot by plot, aged in oak barrels and needs at least three years of cellaring before its complexity opens. Saint Joseph François de Tournon has a smooth, voluptuous texture with fine, silky tannins. Condrieu La Galopine is fermented at 16 to 18°C, with a maximum of 20% fermented in new oak, then aged on fine lees for added richness.
Final Word
Delas Frères brings Hermitage, Saint Joseph, Cornas and Condrieu into a Rhône range where vineyard names and cellar methods remain explicit from bottle to bottle.