Hermitage is a French wine '' Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) in the northern Rhône wine region of France south of Lyon. It produces mostly red wine from the

Syrah Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse B ...

grape; however, small quantities of white wine are also produced from

Roussane Roussanne is a white wine grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with Marsanne. It is the only other white variety, besides Marsanne, allowed in the northern Rhône appellations of Crozes-Hermitage A ...

and Marsanne grapes. The hill is seen by some as the spiritual home of the Syrah grape variety.

History

According to legend, the Knight Gaspard de Stérimberg returned home wounded in 1224 from the

Albigensian Crusade The Albigensian Crusade or the Cathar Crusade (; 1209–1229) was a military and ideological campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc, southern France. The Crusade was prosecuted primarily by the French crown ...

and was given permission by the Queen of France to build a small refuge to recover in, where he remained living as a hermit (''ermite'' in French). The chapel on top was built in honor of

Saint Christopher Saint Christopher ( el, Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, ''Ágios Christóphoros'') is veneration, venerated by several Christianity, Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman Empire, Roman emperor Deciu ...

and today is owned by the negociant Paul Jaboulet Âiné. Louis XIII made the wine a wine of the court after being offered a glass during a visit to the region in 1642. Louis XIV presented King Charles II of England with 200 casks of fine wine including examples from Hermitage, Champagne and

Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...

. The Romanovs also imported the wine. In the 19th century, wines from Bordeaux were often "hermitaged" (''hermitagé'', that is, blended with Hermitage) and could fetch higher prices as a result. The appellation was established in its modern form in 1937.

Geography

The appellation fans out from the town of Tain l'Hermitage. The vines grow on the south west side of a steep granite hill facing the afternoon sun and can be divided into a number of smaller vineyards. These are "''Les Bessards''" to the west, "''L'Hermite'' and "''La Chapelle'' on the top of the mountain, and "''Bessards''", "''Le Méal''", "''Les Greffieux''", and "''Murets''" to the east. With of vines, in soil composed greatly of granite and gravels, Hermitage produces 730,000 bottles of mostly red wines, annually.

Grape Varieties

is the primary red grape of Hermitage, mostly used on its own although the appellation rules do allow the addition of 15% or less of Marsanne and/or Roussanne grapes. Hermitage reds tend toward being very earthy, with aromas of leather, red berries, earth, and cocoa/coffee. Because of the high levels of tannin they are usually aged longer than American or Australian Syrahs and are often cellared up to 40 years. Rich, dry white wines are also produced from a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne. These wines are also usually left to age, for up to 15 years.

Vin de paille Straw wine, or raisin wine, is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The result is similar to that of the ice wine process, but is a much older process and suitable for warm climates. The technique dates back ...

or ''Straw Wine'' is also produced in this region.

Notable Producers

The most notable producer of Hermitage is Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, whose estate can trace its origins back to 1481. Others of note include Chapoutier, Jaboulet, and Delas.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Cotes du Rhone wines Web Sites
Rhône wine AOCs 1930s establishments in France