Hermitage ou Ermitage ou l'Hermitage ou l'Ermitage

France · AOC · Rhône Valley

Styles

Natural factors

A granitic outlier separated from the Ardèche highlands by the Rhône, unique within the Drôme département
Western soils: sandy-clay granitic arènes over gneiss and mica-schists; eastern soils: alluvial terraces (alpine diluvium) with loess on the upper slopes
Loess (calcareous aeolian deposits) laid down by northerly winds at the close of the Quaternary period, persisting on the flat benches at the top of the slope
Vineyard spread across 3 communes of the Drôme (Tain-l'Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Larnage), on the left bank of the Rhône

Human factors

Only two grape varieties are permitted: Syrah N (on the granitic western sector) and Marsanne B (on calcareous soils); viticulture requires careful adaptation to markedly varied soil types
The vineyard is structured with dry-stone walls and drainage channels to stabilise the unstable granitic arènes, a practice handed down from generation to generation

Product characteristics

Reds: deep colour, aromas of ripe fruit, spice, and undergrowth, with a powerful, tannic palate and good ageing potential (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Vin de paille: white grapes dried for a minimum of 45 days, yielding an amber-hued wine with a sweet palate and aromas of candied fruit, smoke, and honey

Terroir / wine link

The warm mesoclimate of the south-facing hillside allows the reds to express ripe fruit, spice, and undergrowth, while the passérillé whites develop their candied-fruit aromas characteristic of vin de paille

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.