There are many things that investors - and drinkers - enjoy about Rhône Valley wines. The superb ageing. The north/south divide. The slow but steady year on year growth. But if there's one particular thing in particular that investors like about Rhone wines, is that they're consistent. Producing outstanding reds and superlative whites year after year, Delas Freres is a perfect example of what an excellent Rhone Valley wine should taste like.

Founded in 1835, at 30-hectares Delas Freres is on the smaller side of Rhone Valley wine negociants. In this case, however, small is beautiful; ten of those 30 hectares are in Hermitage, while another eight are in Les Bessard (hence the eponymous cuvée) and a further two in L’Ermite. Post WWII, the wines were enjoying a boom and by 1960 Michel Delas had joined the ranks, opening up international sales, notably to Latin America. 1977 saw the company merge with the well-known Champagne firm Deutz, and in 1993, Delas Freres was once again sold, this time to Champagne producers, Louis Roederer. Since 2000, output has risen to approximately 1.7 million bottles annually.

Sadly, sale to Roederer saw sales and quality fall. That all changed with the arrival of Jacques Grange in 1997 who was remarkably contributory in improving quality and revitalising an underperforming range, notably the Hermitage Les Bessards. The 1999 vintage was significant as the Delas wines caught the attention of American critic Robert Parker. Giving the vintage a 95/100 the market value of the wine rose sharply and has gained approximately 40% since 2005. Parker gave the 2009 and 2010 a perfect 100 (2015 scored 99+), making this the Delas Freres highest scorer. in Q1 2019, 2017s offering was being sold in bond for €130.