Day 21 | Hermitage AOC
Syrah above the Rhône
The lone, south-facing hill of Hermitage rises steeply over the Rhône at Tain-l’Hermitage. Its terraces are carved from coarse granite, mica-schist, and streaks of loess. Here, Syrah ripens to dark, brooding concentration, yet the lift of violet and black pepper marks it as the Northern Rhône. A smaller share of Marsanne and Roussanne grows on the cooler eastern flank, yielding age-worthy whites that move from quince and almond to honeyed wax with time. With barely 140 ha under vine, Hermitage is tiny, revered, and, when patient, rewarding for decades.
What You’ll Taste (Reds)
If you’re building a blind-tasting toolkit, lock in a handful of “money-in-the-bank” profiles. Northern Rhône Syrah should be one of them. Nail the black-pepper, violet, and granite signature, and you’ll save time (and rack up points) whenever one shows up in a flight.
Primary Notes – Blackberry, black plum, violet, and a flash of cracked pepper
Secondary / Acidity – Smoked meat, iodine, and fresh acidity
Texture / Tannin – Full-bodied with dense, velvety tannins
Terroir & Winemaking Deep Dive
The hill’s western shoulder, Les Bessards, is pure granite, which acts as a heat reservoir that pushes Syrah to inky density. Moving east, Le Méal and L’Hermite mix granite with rolled pebbles and loess, giving riper fruit and silkier tannin, while Les Greffieux at the foot of the slope provides richer soils that soften structure.
Vines are worked by hand (the 45 % grade defies tractors), and yields sit around 30 hL/ha. Reds ferment in open wooden vats or concrete, with frequent remontage to extract colour and tannin. élevage spans 18–24 months in barrels, 20–100 % new depending on the domaine. The synergy of granite, low yields, and long barrel aging produces reds that balance cassis depth with savoury spice and whites that evolve from orchard fruit to lanolin and toasted hazelnut over ten-plus years.
Producers to Visit
Jean-Louis Chave – Benchmark blend of multiple lieux-dits. Perfumes of violet, olive tapenade, and graphite.
M. Chapoutier – “L’Ermite” from the summit. Intense, mineral, and built to age.
Paul Jaboulet Aîné – “La Chapelle” marries black fruit, spice, and enduring length.
Travel Spotlight – Exploring Tain-l’Hermitage
Stay – Hôtel de la Villeon (Tournon-sur-Rhône) 18th-century mansion with terraces overlooking the hill.
Dine – Restaurant Michel Chabran (Pont-de-l’Isère) Rhône classics -lamb saddle with tapenade - paired with mature Hermitage.
Swirl – Chapel Hike Walk up to the tiny St-Christopher chapel, uncork a half-bottle, and trace the Rhône’s curve.
Quiz
How does granite in Les Bessards shape tannin structure compared with the loess-rich soils of Le Méal?
How does long barrel élevage change the tannin texture of young Hermitage Syrah as it matures in bottle?