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Crozes Hermitage

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Crozes-Hermitage wine

If you're a wine enthusiast, you've probably already heard of the Crozes-Hermitage wine. Different from Hermitage, it has some very interesting assets. It's intoxicating, supple, light, elegant, low in acidity and pleasantly persistent. Here's everything you need to know about this beverage.

Description of the wine Crozes-Hermitage

Crozes-Hermitage is a highly prized beverage among brandy lovers. There are two varieties. Red and white. Each has its own specific characteristics.

Crozes-Hermitage red wine

Crozes-Hermitage red wine has an exquisite charm. Its purplish-red color is reminiscent of ripe burlat cherries. On the nose, delicate scents of red and black fruits and violets stand out.

Scents of undergrowth and spices such as cinnamon and licorice are also present. Over time, smoky, toasty aromas evolve into a complex bouquet of candied fruit and leather, with pronounced peppery notes. On the palate, Crozes-Hermitage red has a round, supple, fruit-driven tannic structure. It is less powerful than Hermitage, but has substance, reserve and elegance.

White Crozes-Hermitage

Unlike Crozes-Hermitage red wine, the white variety has a lighter color. It is golden yellow. Texture is oily, but balanced. The older it ages, the more balanced and long-lasting it becomes. This wine has little acidity and is much appreciated for its freshness.

Its aromatic bouquet is broad and intoxicating, just like that of red wine. It includes scents of white flowers (acacia, lime blossom, honeysuckle), dried fruit (almond, hazelnut), yellow and white fruit (peach, apricot, quince), sometimes with hints of honey or wax.

The origins of Crozes-Hermitage wine

Crozes-Hermitage wine comes from the Appellation d'Origine Française Contrôlée of the same name.

The vineyards of Crozes-Hermitage vineyards covers 11 communes in the Drôme, all on the left bank of the Rhône: Crozes-Hermitage, Serves sur Rhône, Erôme, Gervans, Larnage, Tain-l'Hermitage, Mercurol, Chanos Cunon, La Roche de Glun, Beaumont-Monteux and Pont de l'Isère. It is one of the 15 crus in the Rhône Valley to have been awarded a local A.O.C. in 1937. The vineyards of Crozes-Hermitage is not as old as that of Hermitage, and has developed fairly recently in the southern part, which was once devoted to fruit growing. The vineyards cover an area of around 1,430 hectares, with an annual production of over 60,500 hectoliters, corresponding to an average yield of 42 hectoliters per hectare. Crozes-Hermitage is the largest vineyard of the northern appellations.

To the north, the terroir is planted on granitic slopes following on from those of Hermitage, while to the south, the soils are made up of fluvio-glacial alluvium and terraces of rolled Rhône pebbles or loess. The Crozes-Hermitage enjoys full southern exposure on the slopes and is swept by the Mistral wind.

Syrah is the main grape variety for red Crozes-Hermitage wines, complemented by up to 15% Marsanne or Roussanne. White wines are made from Marsanne and Roussanne. The appellation's top quality wines are made by M. Chapoutier, E. Guigal and Delas Frères. Guigal and Delas Frères. Other estates also offer Crozes-Hermitage wines wines, such as Tardieu-Laurent or Ferraton Père et Fils.

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