Delas Saint Esprit Cotes du Rhone, 2017

I have been buying and enjoying the Saint Esprit Cotes du Rhone fairly regularly since the 2007 vintage. It has always been a somewhat atypical CDR because of its relatively high proportion of Syrah to Grenache. The Syrah profile seems to be particularly dominant in this 2017 vintage.

Dark plummy color. Blackberries, currants, lavender and cassis.Fruitier and more accessible than a Northern Rhone Syrah. Not very tannic but still a bit rough on the mid-palate. Comes from hillside vineyards on granite soil in the Ardeche region. Ar least for tonight, I would prefer a bit more Grenache berry and pepper. And a bit more exuberance.