Winemaker Notes
Named after the knight Gaspard de Sterimberg, who settled in Hermitage and built the iconic stone chapel that sits atop the hill.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Jasmine, white peaches, apricots, bananas, crushed stones, almonds and lemon pith on the nose. Shells too. It’s medium- to full-bodied with a fresh, vibrant palate. Firm and mineral. From organically grown grapes. Try from 2023.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2020 Hermitage Le Chevalier De Sterimberg Blanc is also more mid-weight and simple, with medium-bodied, fresh, lively aromas and flavors of crushed citrus and white flowers. It’s certainly well-made and should keep for 7-8 years or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A 60-40 blend of Marsanne and Roussanne that aged exclusively in concrete, the 2020 Hermitage Blanc Le Chevalier de Sterimberg features some slightly leesy aromas, plus hints of underripe pear, anise and citrus. Picked early and weighing in at only 13% alcohol, it's a crisp, medium-bodied, tight, yet elegant effort that bears little resemblance to most modern-day white Hermitages.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
One of the smallest and most important Syrah regions of northern Rhone, Hermitage is practically one single south-facing slope of crushed granite, thinly covered with varied, yet well-charted soil types. Many climats (well identified parcels) exist within Hermitage and while some smaller producers make single climat Syrahs, some larger ones blend to make one balanced expression of the appellation.
Though the AC regulations allow the addition of up to 15% white grapes to a red Hermitage, in practice it is usually made from Syrah alone. Winemaking is pretty traditional—or you might say historic—with hot fermentations and aging in older barrels of various sizes. The best wines, characterized by deep, dense and sexy flavors of black fruit, cocoa, licorice and tobacco, have massive textures and a solid 10-20 years aging potential.
The region of Hermitage is totally enclosed; the only place it could go really is to literally fall down its own hill into the city of Tain or the Rhone River. Soil erosion is a problem and terraces exist alongside the hill in order to keep the earth in place. Crozes-Hermitage encloses the region entirely to its north and south.
While Hermitage seems synonymous with some of the best Syrah on the planet, actually about one third of the wine produced here comes from white grapes. The full, lush and robust Marsanne or the less common, but almost more charming, Roussanne create wonderful whites in which the best have great potential for aging, like the reds.