Delas : Clos Boucher 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Clos Boucher 2023 by Delas

Tasting notes

Appearance

The Clos Boucher 2023 displays a pale yellow colour with light golden highlights, clear and brilliant, a sign of a wine that is still young but already shows a certain concentration.

Nose

The nose is deep and nuanced, blending stone fruit aromas (white peach, ripe apricot) with delicate floral notes of white flowers, all enhanced by touches of sweet spice and a minerality reminiscent of warm stone.

Palate

The palate is generous without ever becoming heavy, carried by an oily, creamy texture inherited from lees work. Lively acidity structures this rich whole, leading to a long, energetic finish marked by a hint of fine bitterness that brings the stone fruit back to the fore.

Food and wine pairings

This characterful Condrieu is an ideal match for noble fish simply seared, poultry in a creamy sauce, saffron risottos or shellfish, all dishes with a texture capable of echoing its amplitude and tension.

Serving and cellaring

The Clos Boucher 2023 has an estimated ageing potential of fifteen years, and can therefore be kept until around 2038.

A Condrieu from Maison Delas, Between Granitic Tension and Crafted Texture

The estate

Founded in 1924 from a Rhône négociant house created in 1835, Delas Frères is today one of the leading houses of the northern Rhône Valley. Its headquarters are in Tain-l'Hermitage, where it farms around 30 hectares of vines in Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. The house has belonged since 1993 to the Rouzaud family, owners of the Roederer group, and has been led since 2023 by Marc Hoellinger. Delas stands out for its exacting parcel-based approach and its environmental commitments, with HVE level 3 certification and a conversion to organic viticulture.

The vineyard

Clos Boucher is a historic 2.5-hectare vineyard located in the Condrieu appellation, which has always belonged to the Delas family. The Viognier vines, more than forty years old, extend over steep slopes in the immediate vicinity of Château Grillet, with a predominantly southern exposure. The plot is characterised by a mosaic of soils: massive granite, schist mixed with deep loess, and clay at the foot of the slope, each contributing to the structure and aromatic palette of the wine.

Winemaking and ageing

For the production of the Clos Boucher 2023, the grapes are hand-harvested at perfect ripeness, then pressed without destemming in order to preserve the finesse of the juice. After settling, fermentation takes place entirely in Burgundy-style oak barrels. Ageing continues on the lees for approximately twelve months with regular bâtonnage, followed by a further six months of maturation on fine lees in stainless steel tank, bringing the total ageing period to eighteen months.

Grape variety

This wine is made from 100% Viognier.