2005 Hermitage Les Bessards

Winemaker Jacques Grange told me that while the 2006s will provide early-drinking pleasur and are balanced to age, they won't achieve the depth or complexity of his 2005s. This was borne out in my tasting, where the more serious 2005s displayed impressive power and structure while the 2006s were more straightforward and fruity. Grange, a Burgundy native who studied enology at Dijon, asserted again that his goal is to produce wines that emphasize finesse over power, telling me that "people forget that the best wines of the north have always been prized for their balance and complexity more than for their mass."

"Two thousand four is a vintage of balance, as is 2005, but 2005 has more richness and more power to go with it," winemaker Jacques Grange told me before presenting his impressive collection of wines from those two vintages. He likens 2005 to 1999 and insists that it's a vintage that must be held. "It's all structure and potential now," he explained. Grange reported lower than normal yields in 2004 for Delas' best sites and this is reflected in the wines, which are indeed balanced but also display impressive power. Grange, who is from Burgundy, responded to my comment on the elegant, almost Burgundian qualities of many of these wines by saying "I guess it's my fate. "(Maisons Marques & Domaines, Oakland, CA) Also recommended: 2004 Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes (86). Other wines tasted: 2005 Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes Blanc, 2004 Cornas Chante-Perdrix*, 2005 Crozes-Hermitage Les Launes.