Everything you want in an inexpensive (thanks to the Costco price) Rhone blend, the Delas Saint-Espirit Cotes du Rhone.
60% Syrah and 40% Grenache from the Ardeche region in the Rhone Valley of France. The wine is aged 8 months in stainless steel.
The Delas Saint-Espirit Cotes du Rhone has an average selling price of $15 but we found it at Costco for $10.79. Ready to buy? Check your local retailers.
The Côtes-du-Rhône Saint Esprit is made from a blend of syrah and grenache grapes, which come from a small village in the Ardèche region. The vineyard's southern exposure on steep granite hillsides provides the best growing conditions for the vines.
The climate is Mediterranean and bears the stamp of the "mistral" wind. This strong wind results from a difference in atmospheric pressures between the northern and southern parts of the Rhône valley. It is beneficial to the vine's growth. The region is also marked by seasonal rains, and hot, exceptionally sunny weather in the summer months.
14.5% Alcohol
The Syrah definitely comes through on the nose of the 2019 Delas Saint-Espirit Cotes du Rhone with some meaty, dark berry and licorice notes but you also get a bit of strawberry underneath from the Grenache. The combination is quite nice.
Tasting the wine reveals there is lots of ripe fruit in this one! It's mainly plum, black cherry and other dark berry fruit that turns a bit tart in the mouth. You'll also find more licorice and a smooth mouthfeel. And it gets even better as it has some air.
It ends dry, quite long and a bit grippy and chewy. This is everything you want in an inexpensive Rhone blend.
Ready to buy? Check your local retailers.