2023 Domaine Delhome, Crozes-Hermitage. Boreal

Romain and Gérald Delhome, fifth-generation growers who began estate bottling in 2019, employ certified organic farming across high-elevation parcels to prioritize a "vertebral" structural profile in their Northern Rhône Syrah. This "Boreal" bottling originates from 40-year-old vines situated on south-facing, sanded granite slopes and fractured granite fragments at 300 meters elevation in the northern communes of Larnage and Gervans. To preserve primary site character, the fruit is fully destemmed and undergoes 11 months of maturation in a combination of neutral oak casks (75%) and stainless steel (25%). The 2023 vintage, characterized by cooling September temperatures following an August heat spike, provided the physiological ripeness necessary for fine-grained tannins while maintaining exceptional nerve and tension. The resulting wine is defined by its verticality and savory, granite-inflected density, avoiding the plushness of southern Crozes-Hermitage in favor of a lean, persistent finish.