Crozes-Hermitage is a French wine

French wine

French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...

 Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée

Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...

(AOC) in the northern Rhône wine region

Rhône (wine region)

The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée designations...

 of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. The appellation is the largest in the northern Rhone, and its wines are less highly regarded than those from the nearby appellations of Côte-Rôtie or its near-namesake Hermitage

Hermitage AOC

Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France south of Lyon. It produces mostly red wine from the Syrah grape; however, small quantities of white wine are also produced from Roussane and Marsanne grapes...

. Most of the wines produced here are red wines made from the Syrah grape, sometimes blended with small quantities of white Roussanne

Roussanne

Roussanne is a white wine grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with Marsanne. It is the only other white variety, besides Marsanne, allowed in the northern Rhône appellations of Crozes-Hermitage AOC, Hermitage AOC and Saint-Joseph AOC...

 or Marsanne grapes. Some white wines are also made, based on Marsanne and/or Roussanne.

History

In 1846, a panel of tasters commended the wine for its likeness to Hermitage wines. The appellation was officially defined in 1937 and was expanded in 1952.

Climate and geography

Crozes-Hermitage, along with the rest of northern Rhône has a continental climate that differs from its southern neighbour, which has a more Mediterranean climate. Winters are wet and marked by the cold le mistral

Mistral (wind)

The mistral is a strong, cold and usually dry regional wind in France, coming from the north or northwest, which accelerates when it passes through the valleys of the Rhone and the Durance Rivers to the coast of the Mediterranean around the Camargue region. It affects the northeast of the plain...

winds that can last into the Spring. The appellation is fairly large by Northern Rhône standards, with its 1,238 hectares accounting for approximately half of the entire region's 2,400 hectares. The appellation's boundary begins around 10 km north of Tain-l'Hermitage

Tain-l'Hermitage

Tain-l'Hermitage is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Geography:It is located on the left bank of the Rhône River, opposite Tournon-sur-Rhône, which is located in Ardèche.-Population:-Economy:...

, extends around the village of Gervans

Gervans

Gervans is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...

 with its south- and south-western granite slopes and then spreads south around Larnage

Larnage

Larnage is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:...

 where the land flattens and consists of more clay. Approaching Tain and the village of Mercurol

Mercurol

Mercurol is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:...

 the land rises again and the appellation spreads east. In this region, the soil is mostly rocks, sand and clay. Just south of Tain galets roulés, small surface stones also found extensively in Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-History:Châteauneuf-du-Pape is firmly entwined with papal history. In 1308, Pope Clement V, former Archbishop of Bordeaux, relocated the papacy to the city of Avignon...

 in the southern Rhône, appear. The southernmost part of the appellation is flat and newly planted.

Grapes and wine

As with the northern Rhône in general, Crozes-Hermitage produces primarily red wines, with Syrah the only red grape permitted under appellation rules. The rules allow the addition of up to 15% white grapes, Marsanne and Roussanne

Roussanne

Roussanne is a white wine grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with Marsanne. It is the only other white variety, besides Marsanne, allowed in the northern Rhône appellations of Crozes-Hermitage AOC, Hermitage AOC and Saint-Joseph AOC...

. These two grape varieties are also used to make up the white wines that are made in the appellation. The more notable vineyards in Crozes-Hermitage include Les Chassis, Les Sept Chemins and Les Meysonniers.

Many of the red wines are relatively light and intended for early drinking, while others will keep and improve in bottle for several years.

Winemaking

Crozes-Hermitage is notable for the large amount of cooperative wine. Cave de Tain, a large cooperative, takes half of the grapes grown and another large producer, Jaboulet, takes a big part of the other half, and also owns its own high quality vineyard sites. Although as noted a small amount of white grapes can be included when making red wines, more and more pure Syrah wines are being made.