DELAS Freres 2020 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Haute Pierre

Delas Frères’ 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Haute Pierre” is a masterclass in Rhône terroir expression, a symphonic red that commands attention and rewards patience. Sourced from the sun-drenched communes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Bédarrides, Courthézon, Orange, and Sorgues—each with their tapestry of deep, stony subsoils—this wine captures the beating heart of Southern Rhône viticulture. The famous galets roulés, or rounded quartz stones, blanket the vineyard floor like relics of a forgotten volcanic age, absorbing the blazing Provençal sun by day and radiating its warmth long into the evening. It’s this thermal dynamic that coaxes out the intense ripeness and profound structure that define this iconic cuvée.

Composed predominantly of Grenache (90%) with a splash of Syrah (10%), the 2020 vintage opens with a deep garnet robe and bursts onto the nose with a complex interplay of black cherry compote, sunbaked herbs, warm spices, and that signature thread of licorice that so often graces the great wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. On the palate, it is both opulent and finely poised—voluptuous yet finely structured, with velvety tannins that frame the wine’s generous body like iron beneath silk. The extraction is precise, a result of meticulous vinification in traditional concrete vats, followed by long maceration and gentle maturation in large oak tuns for 8 to 14 months. The result is a wine that pulses with Mediterranean soul and vibrates with earthy complexity.

Haute Pierre’s 2020 vintage is not merely a bottle of wine—it is a living document of its climate, geology, and craftsmanship. The Mistral wind, with its cleansing force, ensures impeccable health in the vineyard, while the low yields—just 33 hectolitres per hectare—guarantee a concentration of flavor that is both rare and profound. This is not a wine that whispers. It declares. It demands slow-roasted lamb shank, daube Provençale, or herbes de Provence-infused meats as its culinary companions.

For collectors, this wine promises 10 to 15 years of graceful evolution, with its tannic architecture ensuring longevity while its core of rich, sun-drenched fruit invites more immediate indulgence. In the pantheon of Southern Rhône reds, Delas Frères’ 2020 Haute Pierre stands proud—a vinous monument to heritage, heat, and the enduring beauty of place.br />
Alcohol: 14.5%

93 POINTS - "A ripe and rich Chateauneuf, but with moderate tannins for this appellation, and that gives it a certain gracefulness on the palate. Lots of bitter chocolate and damson plum character on the generous palate, but the long savory finish is decisively dry. This should age well. Drink or hold." - James Suckling

The colour is a deep garnet red. To the nose, the "Haute Pierre" cuvée is characterised by strong spicy aromas, which show a rich, powerful body wrapped around with a more delicate yet tightly knit tannic framework. Rich and unctuous on the palate, the finish reveals some intense, liquorice like flavours.