Delas Freres - Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes 2018 (750ml)

Prominent veins of crushed granite and tar shadow rich, decadent flavors of black-currant jam and licorice in this 100% Syrah sourced from three different sites within Hermitage (including the estate's flagship Les Bessards). While tannins are ripe, it's a charry, piquantly spiced wine in youth that finishes on peppery hits of clove, dark chocolate and espresso shavings. It's best to wait till 2023 to open but the wine should improve through 2035 at least. (Cellar Selection)

Intensely perfumed aromas of black/blue fruit liqueur, pipe tobacco and potpourri are complemented by smoky mineral and olive flourishes that build with air. Densely packed and velvety in texture, offering palate-staining black raspberry, cherry and fruitcake flavors accented by violet pastille and licorice nuances. Youthfully gripping tannins build slowly on the impressively persistent, mineral-driven finish, which features a resonating frisson of candied flowers.