Chevalier de Sterimberg

In 1224, a knight named Henri-Gaspard de Sterimberg returned from the Crusades and sought solace on the hill now known as Hermitage, where he built the Saint Christophe chapel and began cultivating vines. He was deemed a hermit and was the inspiration behind the name of the Hermitage appellation, a single hill with a diversity of soil types.

Named for this knight, Chevalier de Sterimberg white Hermitage wine is made from Marsanne and Roussanne grapes grown in terroirs of loess and pebbles. The Maison Blanche and Les Murets parcels have a fine, sandy, and chalky loamy soil called loess. These fine soils were deposited by strong winds in sheltered areas over time. Loess moderates water stress and allows Marsanne to thrive. The Rocoules parcel has stony soils on sloping hillsides, and grapes grown here impart elegance and complexity to the wine. Marsanne has been cultivated in the Rhône Valley for over 2,000 years and adds body to wine and a touch of bitterness to the finish. Roussanne is native to the Rhône Valley and thrives in the poor clay-limestone soils of Hermitage, and imparts acidity to wines when used. The organic grapes are hand-harvested, sorted at the time of harvest, and transported in small crates. Grapes are pressed as whole clusters and transferred to tanks by gravity. After settling, fermentation takes place in cement egg-shaped tanks and some oak demi-muids. The aging process continues in the same containers with regular lees stirring. The egg-shaped tanks allow for slow micro-oxygenation of the wine, preserving aromas and flavors.