Home > Wine of the Week > Delas Hermitage Marquise de la Tourette Blanc 1993
Delas Hermitage Marquise de la Tourette Blanc 1993
Continuing with last week's theme, this week another Hermitage. And another from Delas, as it happens. Las week was the 1994 Marquise de la Tourette Rouge, this week the preceding vintage, and white rather than red.
The presence of white grapes growing on the hill of Hermitage is of interest;
although anyone familiar with the wines of the Rhône will be aware that the
permitted varieties are Marsanne and Roussanne, and will also be familiar with
white Hermitage, it is easy to forget that the white grapes may also be blended
in with red Hermitage, akin to the blending of Viognier with Syrah in the
Côte-Rôtie appellation. The white fruit may be cofermented with the red, and may
make up no more than 15% of the wine. I once heard it explained that this
concession allowed for difficulties in distinguishing between the varieties when
planting out new cuttings, stemming from the days when the nurserymen were
perhaps less precise in determining what they were selling than they are today.
The ruling meant that entire vineyards could be harvested in one sweep, even if
one or two white vines had accidentally landed amongst all the red. The
inclusion of the white grapes may even be of benefit, as Marsanne in particular
can bring texture to the final wine. Nevertheless, few vignerons would
take advantage of the full 15%, and today 5% would be a more typical figure.
Here,
however, we have the white fruit bottled alone, in the shape of the 1993
Hermitage Cuvée Marquise de la Tourette Blanc from
Delas. The Delas vines account for
just 1 hectare of the ten owned or rented by the firm on the hill, and is predominantly Marsanne,
with Roussanne more of a seasoning than a major ingredient it seems. In the
glass it has a rich, golden hue that is full of promise, and the nose is full of
delightful character, with aromas of truffles and nuts presented in an open and
expressive fashion. I find it quite captivating. There is a tangible weight to
it, and yet it is reserved, with a gentle, attractive, nicely integrated,
complete feel on the palate. Always harmonious, it shows a gently honeyed,
nutty, soft and creamy character, more of a tender caress than the firm grip
provided by
some wines. A lovely finish of stone fruit nuances and a moderate length. After
the disappointment of the 1994 Rouge this is an uplifting experience. Very good
indeed. 17.5/20 (14/1/08)
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