Delas Hermitage Les Bessards 2020

99 Points | JD
“All Syrah from unquestionably one of the greatest terroirs on the planet for the variety, the dense purple-hued 2020 Hermitage Les Bessards offers up a monster of a bouquet of primordial blue fruits, camphor, burning embers, and scorched earth. This carries to a powerful yet incredibly pure Hermitage with building tannins, bright acidity, stunning mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's going to push the upper boundary of my rating scale, but it's for consumers with plenty of patience and will be mostly only educational for the first decade of life or so.” - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points | V
“Inky violet. Displays assertive aromas of blackcurrant, cherry-cola and violet, along with olive, smoked meat and vanilla nuances that gain strength with aeration. Vibrant, focused and appealingly sweet, offering intense, mineral-driven black and blue fruit, floral pastille and smoky bacon flavors that become deeper and spicier as the wine opens up. The floral note comes back strong on the impressively long, penetrating finish, which features youthfully chewy tannins and exotic spice notes.” - Vinous

97 Points | JS
“This giant Hermitage has remarkable meaty power, smoky mystery and inky depth. It is matched by the bold and refined structure on the wide-screen palate. The tannins slowly swell to a stunning crescendo at the fabulous finish, yet there is nothing overdone about this extraordinary wine. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.” - James Suckling