Sainte Epine Blanc
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2038
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted poultry, creamy mushroom risotto, grilled lobster
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from one of the most iconic and steeply terraced vineyards in the Northern Rhône, the Saint-Joseph 'Sainte-Épine' Blanc is a masterclass in terroir-driven winemaking. The vineyard itself, located in the historic commune of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, derives its name from local folklore surrounding a relic of the Holy Thorn (Sainte-Épine) once kept in a nearby chapel. Grown on south-facing granite slopes that capture optimal sunlight, the grapes benefit from a unique microclimate that imparts both power and freshness. Delas crafts this rare white wine primarily from old-vine Marsanne, utilizing gentle pressing, cool fermentations, and careful oak aging on the lees to develop a rich, voluptuous texture balanced by a striking, flinty minerality and notes of white peach, acacia, and honey.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1835 in the northern Rhône valley, Delas Frères has evolved from its origins in Tournon-sur-Rhône into one of the region's benchmark estates, acquiring its defining identity under the Delas family before becoming part of the Roederer Collection in 1993. Situated at its architecturally celebrated, gravity-fed winery in Tain-l'Hermitage, the house manages prestigious estate vineyards alongside curated négociant partnerships. The viticultural foundation is centered on the steep, south-facing granitic amphitheaters of Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, and Côte-Rôtie, supplemented by alluvial terraces in Crozes-Hermitage. Farmed under certified organic and High Environmental Value Level 3 standards, Delas practices rigorous parcel-by-parcel selections and gentle, temperature-regulated fermentations designed to preserve fruit purity and structural tension. Renowned for sculptural Syrah and opulent, mineral-laced Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier, Delas Frères expresses classic Rhône typicity through iconic cuvées such as Hermitage Les Bessards, Domaine des Tourettes, and Saint-Joseph Sainte-Épine.
🍇 Grapes
Marsanne