Hermitage
Is there a more immediately recognisable hill in the wine world?
A visit to the Northern Rhône is never complete without a trip to the Hermitage Hill. It has become an important rite of passage for so many Rhone wine lovers. Grab a bottle & a baguette and trek to the summit for a truly inspiring view of some of the most beautiful vineyard landscape in the world.
The hard yakka is worth every step - it is so quiet at the top, with the sun beating down you can take a seat by the iconic La Chapelle and feel centuries of winemaking tradition flow through the landscape, with the mighty Rhône river and the town of Tain l'Hermitage in the distance to complete the picture.
'The hill', as it is known amongst Rhône lovers, is a huge chunk of south facing granitic soil that is covered in some 140 hectares of vineyards. Two estates alone account for nearly 55 of those, and a hugely successful cooperative takes up much more, so it is easy to understand the scarcity of land, scarcity of wine and just why there are so few new producers coming through.
Decent parcels coming up for sale are as rare as hen's teeth. In great years, the most noble and upright expressions of Syrah, long lived and densely packed. For the dedicated Rhône fan, the wines of Hermitage are a relative bargain in the context of the fine wine world.
Domaine Christelle Betton
Christelle is the third generation, following in the footsteps of her father and her grandfather who tended to their vineyards, selling to négociants for a time, but bringing the winemaking back to the domaine in 2003.
Christelle manages 15 acres of vines in Crozes-Hermitage and one-third acre of vines in Hermitage. Soils in the village of Roche de Glun are alluvial, with many “galets roulés” commonly found along the Rhône River valley (and most commonly in Châteauneuf-du-Pape). The area is also very dry, which is why the Betton family has for years ploughed the land by hand, to better train their vines’ roots to dig deep in the rocky soils. Also, vineyards are well-exposed to the cold northern “mistral” winds from the Alps, helping preserve freshness and acidity in the grapes.
Christelle uses only older French oak barrels (from four to eight years, and sourced from white Burgundy producers) to age her wines. In general, wines are aged in barrel for one year, and are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
On the 2023 vintage, Christelle reflected:
“It reminded me a lot of the ‘22, perhaps a bit of ’21 too, it was very hot, but there is lots of freshness in the wines, very fruit forward.”
2022 HERMITAGE BLANC Arpège Domaine Christelle Betton
2022 HERMITAGE BLANC Arpège Domaine Christelle Betton - Also bottled in September, the 2022 Hermitage Arpège Blanc comes all from the L'Homme lieu-dit and was brought up in one new barrel and one2022 HERMITAGE BLANC Arpège Domaine Christelle Betton - Also bottled in September, the 2022 Hermitage Arpège Blanc comes all from the L'Homme lieu-dit and was brought up in one new barrel and one once-used barrel. Citrus oil, quince, honeyed flowers, crushed stone, and subtle toasty notes all emerge on the nose, and this beauty is medium to full-bodied, with a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, a beautiful sense of freshness, and outstanding length. It's a stunning Hermitage Blanc that I suspect will evolve for 10-15 years. Rating: 95 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Oct 2024)
In Bond
Domaine Gilles Robin
Gilles Robin took over the running of this vineyard in 1996, with the freedom to produce his own wines. With a history of winegrowing spanning four generations, Gilles' aim was to realise the potential of the 35-year-old vines. He immediately used only natural fertilizers and reduced yields to just 40 hectolitres per hectare (8/10 bunches per vine) to give a richer concentration of fruit and quality. A new winery was built into the ground to allow the wines to be moved delicately by gravity, rather than being pumped. Gilles' vineyard now extends to Saint Joseph (where he makes a tiny volume) and Hermitage, the core vineyard averages forty years old, and the wines gain in subtlety and balance with every vintage.
Gilles says of his wines, 'there is not a unique Syrah but rather a full spectrum of characteristics and potential expressed by Syrah varieties', to which might be added 'the spectrum of flavours of Syrah on different terroirs' as well, because his vineyards encompass the range of styles the appellation can produce. The 'Rochas' vineyard has deep soils which make for big wines with rustic tannins which take time to soften. It always produces tiny grapes which need fairly strong extraction to get the best of their deep, wild black fruit and spice notes. The 'Monico' vineyard is made up of broken-up rock and little pebbles and a deep clay. The clay retains water well and this is perfect for hot summers. A higher-toned red and black fruit character, ripe blackcurrant and blackberry, with elegant rather than massive tannins. Finally, the 'Terres Rouges' vineyard is made of gravels and red clay, typical of the 'Terrasse des Châssis'. The Syrah here displays finesse, elegance and aromatic complexity. The strong iron oxide content of this plot enables a maximum phenolic maturity. Intense colour, with purple highlights, aromas of violets, black fruits, sweet spices (pepper, nutmeg) and slightly smokiness. On the palate, this Syrah has silky tannins and fine minerality. All of these styles together make for beautifully balanced wines, the different cuvées emphasising the differing characteristics of primal fruit and sophisticated and complex depth. The vineyard has been organic since 2009.
In Bond