My wife and I walked around Hermitage hill last year and to keep it brief: we loved it. Love the wines and feel a different/better appreciation for them now. I would like to attempt to find out who grows/vinifies different plots to hopefully be able to buy some bottles that were made from the very vines/grapes that we walked along. I’ll try to use google maps to direct and orient:
And if you look at the very top of the hill, in what I would call a “horse shoe”, those are the rows in question I’m most curious about. I’ll attempt a close up:
I have found a few sources that give a little information. One is this: Detailed Map of Hermitage with lieux-dits. — Fernando Beteta, MS
Another decent source is Chapoutier’s 3D rendering: A legendary hill
I’m still working my way through John Livingstone-Learmonth’s book on wines of the Northern Rhone but didn’t see quite this granular of detail, unless I missed it. I know some on this board are quite well versed in Northern Rhone and I’m aware of the fantastic thread about a trip that was organized by Mr. Livingstone-Learnmonth. I’m hoping someone here has a (what would admittedly be an incredibly) detailed listing or information about parcels, plots, sections, rows of Hermitage. Anyone have a source worth sharing? Thank you much in advance!
The Hermitage Hill is quite fragmented reg. properties, but the top of the hill (L’Hermite) is owned mostly by Chapoutier who make a L’ Hermite cuvee (red and white) - and partially by Jean-Louis Chave who makes only one wine (also red and white each) from the total on the hill ( except sometimes the Cathelin cuvee which is from Bessards).
It looks like the “horseshoe” the OP is looking at is labeled as “Les Grandes Vignes” on Beteta’s map and that it is above and/or behind L’Hermite.
It looks like Delas has a new-ish bottling from that Lieux-Dit (JLL says 2015 was the first vintage).
No map but here’s Delas’s page on the wine:
https://www.delas.com/en/vin/35/ligne-de-crete
You may want to try contacting Delas directly to see if they will confirm or deny that this is the wine you’re looking for.
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Thanks for this link, I had done a quick google but didn’t see it. I’m going to write them and see if they have any more info they can share. If I learn anything worthwhile I’ll update here for anyone that wants to reference in the future. Thanks again
My first thought was Wienlagen! Thank you Claus for your detailed, searchable maps!
That’s great, thank you very much!
Quick followup, just for those really interested: Fernando Beteta’s link (above) mentioned that Desmeure was one of the producers from “Les Grandes Vignes”, so I decided to track them down and send an email. I found the website and a generic contact email address for Domaine Des Remizieres. The website listed two bottlings (Cuvee Autrement and Cuvee Emilie) as coming from this plot/area/lieu dit. I sent an email and this was the response I got (translated to English):
“To follow up on your email, I can confirm that we have the majority of our Hermitage vines located on the ‘Grandes Vignes’ terroir. The Hermitage ‘cuvée Emilie’ comes 80% from there. L’Hermitage ‘autrement’ comes 100% from it.”
They also attached some photos, but I’m not sure if they were comfortable with me sharing the photos. I can say of the photos though that the top of their plots in particular appear to be at the elevation of the chapel itself and then descending lower from there. No clear exact definition of the bounds of their plots but if you imagine that “horseshoe” I tried to describe, with the top at the level of the chapel, then you’re picturing it right.
[EDIT] Emilie at Domaine Des Remizieres graciously gave me permission to share their photos here!
Most Hermitage are blends of various parcels. It’s the blend that gives the wines their true character. I’ve had Bessads from multiple producers, as well as L’Ermite, Le Meal and others, and I find the wines from blended parcels are better.
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I received a response (in English) from Delas:
“Greetings from Tain l’Hermitage! We have 10 hecatres on the Hermitage hill. Please find in the attachment the geagraphical part, where we select the best grapes to vinificate “la Ligne de Crête” one of our single vineyard selection in Hermitage. We select the best terasses on the Hermitage Hill. It’s 100% syrah grapes.
We put all the volume in burgundy barrels (228 liters) during 14 to 19 month. The goal => to concentrate the flavours, to structure, to bring out the terroir and this beautiful wine. We hope that this email give you a better understanding.”
I have asked for permission from them to share a map they provided that shows the area I was asking about is exactly what goes in their “Ligne de Crete”. I for one can’t wait to try it.
