2016 Delas Frères Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Les Grands Chemins

All from an estate in Crozes Hermitage (which is owned by Delas Frères), the 2016 Crozes Hermitage Domaine Des Grands Chemins offers a slightly more straightforward profile yet is still a beautiful wine. Blackberries, black cherries, crushed rocks, and peppery notes all emerge from this medium-bodied, elegant red that has obvious minerality, good density, and a tight, clean, pure style that's going to benefit from a year or two of bottle age. This cuvée was brought up in a combination of tank and used smaller barrels. Owned by the Louis Roederer/Deutz Champagne firm, Delas Frères is another largely negotiate estate that is fashioning brilliant wines from throughout the Rhône Valley. The incredible quality has been led by Burgundian Jacques Grange, who joined Delas Frères in 1997, and he’s assisted by the talented Claire Darnaud. The 2015s, reviewed last year, are some of the finest wines ever from this estate (same league as the 2009s and 2010s). They’ve done a fine job in 2016, with the wines showing more elegant characters, missing the density or structure of a top year, yet offering balanced, very drinkable profiles. The 2017s should surpass the 2016s, but also have upfront charming characters. It’s worth noting that this estate has seen a progression in style since 2005, where the wines were more extracted and oaky, to the 2016s and 2017s today, which could be seen as more mid-weight and elegant.

I had higher hopes for the 2016 Crozes Hermitage Domaine des Grands Chemins, but it appears to have closed down a bit and become less expressive. Espresso and black olive notes now seem more somber than last year, with meaty, earthy notes. It's medium to full-bodied, with some firm tannins on the finish.

Brilliant violet. Ripe cherry and blueberry on the perfumed nose. Mocha, licorice and olive nuances appear with air and add complexity to sweet, nicely concentrated black and blue fruit flavors. Clings well on the gently tannic finish, showing no rough edges and leaving blue fruit and spicecake flavors behind.