Delas "Les Bessards" Hermitage 2003

Red/purple.

Spicy fig/date/olive and smoked meat aromatics. Deep and pristine.

Low-toned in the mouth with a confectionary, spicy licorice character. No acid apparent, but features big chewy tannin that hit the front teeth late. Packed, but needs a few years to express in the mouth.

This is interesting - the "best" (granite-based) vineyard site on Hermitage hill in an incredibly warm year. I'm starting to think this vintage is not as good as I've been led to believe it is. But time will tell.


Day 2 - Ditto on everything above, but mid-palate is flat, something I've noticed with a few other 2003 N. Rhones. Again, I'm not so sure about this vintage.

$110