La Chapelle Hermitage Rouge
Rhône
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.
La Chapelle Hermitage Rouge is made from 40- to 100-year-old Syrah vines grown in the western Hermitage on steep slopes using goblet on stakes training. The Les Bessards and Varogne parcels have granite soil, and bedrock is exposed in several places due to erosion over the past 400 million years. Syrah grown in this soil is dense and graphite-like with tight tannins and silky texture. The highest terraces of the Méal and Rocoules parcels are pebbled with limestone, and Syrah grown there has fleshy and sensual texture with aromas of ink and black fruit. The organic grapes are hand-harvested, placed in small crates, and then hand sorted on sorting tables. Fermentation takes place over ten days using yeasts indigenous to the Northern Rhône. Phenolic compounds are gently extracted by punching down and pumping over, followed by a post-fermentation maceration that lasts around two weeks to allow the components of the wine to meld gradually. The wine is then aged for 12 months in French oak barrels – of which 15% are new – and cement concrete eggs.
The 2021 vintage had a mild winter with an early spring. The early development of vegetation slowed as the temperatures dropped in April. The spring was cool and May had abundant rainfall. Flowering took place rapidly and in good conditions. The summer was also very wet with temperatures below normal, resulting in a delay of veraison and slower maturation. The harvest resulted in grapes with good balance and aromas.
With a classic vintage profile, this refined, complex, and vibrant red wine has notes of black fruit, tart cherry, and violets.
- Established in the 13th century, this legendary cuvée has crossed the centuries
- A blend of different expressions of Syrah from the multifaceted terroir of Hermitage
- Vineyards are certified AB organic since 2016 & farmed using biodynamic practices
- Family owned by the Frey family
