The former engineer, Alain Graillot, arrived in Crozes-Hermitages in 1985. Soon after he proved himself to be a master of growing Syrah despite his avant-garde thoughts about respecting nature. In fact, Alain Graillot's principles of banning insecticides and herbicides, working the soil with a plough and whole cluster vinification proved pioneering. His cuvées soon stood out for their quality and consistency throughout vintages.
After leaving the winemaking to his sons Antonie and Maxime in 2008, Alain busied himself advising domaines both in France and abroad in countries as far as Australia and Morocco but also in Italy and Spain. Alain sadly left us in March 2022 but his legacy lives on - wines with remarkable finesse are produced and the estate now covers nearly 22 hectares (17ha in the Crozes Hermitage Rouge, 3 ha in Crozes Hermitages Blanc and 1.5ha in Saint-Joseph Rouge).

Crozes-Hermitage Le Clos de Delas comes from a single parcel of grapes exclusively from the Clos vineyard located on the Chassis plain (left bank of the Rhône). It is only produced in noteworthy vintages and is aged for ten to fourteen months in one to three-year-old oak pièces. Unlike its counterparts which focus on concentration and power, le Clos amazes us all; it abounds in finesse with an unexpected Burgundy-like structure. Just like a Pinot Noir, it showcases a jagged, delicate substance and the Syrah is almost forgotten. Its power and elegance make it really stand out in the appellation.