28. Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage - What Is The Difference Anyway?

Welcome to The Wineitupanotch Podcast, a podcast where we talk about wine, life, and everything in between. My name is Anshu, I'm your host and I am super thrilled that you've decided to join me today. Thank you for doing so! 

 Welcome to Episode 28 of the podcast. 

 It is a Sunday morning in my house. It's pretty quiet. The kids have gone off to Sunday school with my husband, and I was doing a bunch of chores and I thought, you know what? Let me record a quick tip episode. 

Now, if you've been listening to the podcast for a little while, you will know that I've talked about this idea of quick tip episodes before, and I've mentioned that, you know, some people that I listen to, that our podcasters do these quick tip episodes on a regular basis.

 They call them Quick Tip Tuesdays or Wednesdays or Thursdays or whatever. For me, it's just something I'm playing around with. It's an idea of getting online if you will, grabbing my recording device and just speaking into it about something that I would like to share about quickly, just disseminating some information that I hope is useful to people, but not in a super long form format.

 So today is one of those quick tip episodes! 

 And if you've seen the title of this episode, you'll already know that today I will be talking about two appellations, namely Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage. 

 Now let's just do some basics here. 

These are two appellations that are located in the northern p art of the Rhone Valley, which is in France.

 The Rhone Valley itself is located in what I would consider to be South Central France. It's not quite southern France, but we're getting quite south in the country. It's certainly, quite, centrally located, if you will. It is located underneath Beaujolais and Burgundy and it's a long, skinny region that is very renowned for its wines, but it's got multiple sub-appellations in it and two major groupings of area being the Northern Rhone Valley and the Southern Rhone Valley.

 Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage are two appellations that are in the bottom part of the Northern Rhone Valley. So I just wanted to anchor us with that in case it 

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is not that familiar to somebody who's listening as to where these particular appellations are located. And I could hate nothing more than to say, I love to bring wine to life, but then talk about wine as if everybody understands everything.

I know it can get really confusing and that is precisely why I wanted to do this episode and why I seem to be quite drawn to talking about this topic a fair bit across my various platforms, whether it be this podcast or Instagram or my blog. I have been feeling a pull to talk about these two appellations and to understand them better. 

 And that's really grounded in a personal story.

I haven't always been a wine expert. Again, if you know me or if you've been following my work, you'll know that I relatively recently came into the profession as somebody who's quite focused on wine. I've always loved wine. There's no question about that. But a few years ago, I decided to make a hard pivot from what I was doing before into becoming a wine professional, and my journey since then has been a very steep learning curve. 

It's been full of lots of information and I'd say serious velocity and the curve has been very steep in terms of what I've been able to pick up. But it wasn't so long ago that I didn't understand everything in a gross amount of detail.

 But there were some things I was familiar with, that's for sure. I was familiar with the idea that wines from the Rhone Valley were considered to be extremely special. I was also familiar with the idea that there was an appellation called Hermitage that was the source of really high quality wines. So I knew those two things.

I also knew that Hermitage wines were pretty expensive. So if you went to the store to try to buy a Hermitage wine, you were definitely looking at spending close to about a hundred Canadian dollars. So this was my base of knowledge. 

 And one day I was at the liquor store looking around, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I saw a bottle of Crozes-Hermitage at a much better price point, and I thought, “oh, cool.

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Is this Hermitage - why is it so inexpensive?” I thought I had stumbled on a really great deal. Of course there were several Crozes-Hermitage wines on the shelf. They were all at a more reasonable price point. But I, not fully understanding what I was doing just thought, okay, I'm getting a wine from Hermitage and I'm getting a great price - let me grab this! 

But to be honest, I wasn't a hundred percent sure if I was actually getting an Hermitage wine. I didn't know entirely what I would get in the glass. Of course, I quickly tried to Google it in the store, but, really didn't spend a ton of time and as you're about to see, there was quite a bit of detail to unpack, so I didn't really fully understand and I brought it home.

I enjoyed the wine incredibly, thought it was really good, posted about it on Instagram, heard back from a lot of people in the wine space on Instagram and off I went. It wasn't until a little bit later and going deeper into my wine journey that I came to understand that in fact, Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage are two appellations that are somewhat related, but also quite different. And understanding those differences is helpful as somebody who is very interested in wine to know what you are actually purchasing because in fact there can be quite a price difference and sometimes a relatively notable quality difference between the two appellations as well. 

Yet in many ways, they're similar.

For a wine geek like me, and if you're a wine geek that's listening, this is fascinating stuff, right? This is really looking at some of the nuances of French wine appellations and why they're similar and different and how they've been named and how they relate to one another. So it's the kind of stuff I lap up for sure. But I also think it's got a very relevant and commercial application to people who just like to enjoy wine. So that's what I want to get into today. 

So let's go, let's get into it. 

Okay, so let's start with Hermitage. Now, there is no question that Hermitage is the source of what are considered to be some of the best wines in the world, and certainly some of the best wines in France.

Those wines are revered around the world. They command a very high price tag, they're usually 

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collected by people who are very serious about collecting wines and holding them for long periods of time. They're venerable to put it lightly and they're really special. 

Hermitage itself is a very tiny appellation.

It is located right towards the bottom of the northern part of the Rhone Valley, and the northern part of the Rhone Valley is often seen as the source of pretty high quality wine relative to maybe some parts of the Southern Rhone. In fact, the styles of wine that are produced in the Northern Rhone and the Southern Rhone are very different, even down to the grapes that are utilized.

But that notwithstanding generally, people will associate a higher level of quality with Northern Rhone. And then within the Northern Rhone, Hermitage is certainly seen as an area that is producing some of the highest quality wines. 

The area itself is very small. It is only about 130 or so hectares, and that is, considerably smaller than most appellations around the world - some estates in Bordeaux would be as large, if not larger than the entire appellation of Hermitage. 

It's all located on the very steep hill of Hermitage. So there's an actual hill right on the Rhone River, which is called Hermitage, which is where the vines are grown and where the appellation is. 

The hill itself overlooks the town called Tain l'Hermitage and it's situated on the left bank of the Rhone River, right where the Rhone River takes a little bit of a bend. So the vineyards themselves are protected by the hill because they're up on the hill, so they don't get a lot of exposure from the strong winds of the area and they get a lot of really great sun exposure.

So that all helps with the ripening of the grapes and getting some really great tannins and flavors developing in the grapes. '

The soils themselves are also quite poor in this area because the hill itself is so steep, so you get some stony poor soils, which are generally considered to be great for viticulture. That also helps with developing these grapes that have these really beautiful, robust flavors. 

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In the Hermitage AOC or appellation, the wines are primarily based on Syrah when they're red wines, although there can be a very small percentage of the Roussanne and Marsanne grapes blended in, those are two white grapes that are permitted in the appellation and the white wines are purely made from Roussanne and Marsanne. 

The red wines, as I mentioned before, are really well known for being full bodied, very opulent, somewhat austere in youth, so wines that you want to be holding onto for a longer period of time. And so very much considered to be very age worthy. And often the vinification or the winemaking in this area is what's considered to be fairly traditional - It's in oak. It's designed to bring out tannin structure and to create age worthy wines. 

And as I mentioned, these wines are quite pricey. 

In terms of the split between red and white wines, about 70% of the wines produced in the Hermitage AOC are red wines with only about 30% being white wines based on the Roussanne and Marsanne grapes.

What you can expect from the flavors of these wines is black fruit aromas for the red wines, real spice notes from the fact that they were in oak and earthy tones. And then as they age, they will develop more what we call tertiary notes. So you would get more things like leather or dried earth, dried fruit, wet leaves, forest floor, pencil shavings - those kinds of notes start to come out with age. 

And with the white wines, they are relatively rich in the mouth and fuller bodied, so you often get stone fruit, citrus notes, and honey in their youth, and they can be aged as well. When they're aged, they turn creamy and nutty. So these are definitely beautiful wines.

Now, if you are at a liquor store or you go to a restaurant and you look for a wine that is coming from the Hermitage AOC, you'll definitely see the price point reflecting the quality that is renowned in this appellation. 

So what then is Crozes-Hermitage? 

Crozes-Hermitage, on the other hand, is actually (I think) the largest appellation in the Northern Rhone. 

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It's almost 1700 hectares or about 4,200 acres that are situated across 11 different villages. So when we talked about Hermitage, we're talking about a very small vineyard area on a steep slope overlooking one village. Whereas here in Crozes-Hermitage, we're talking about a really large appellation still in the Northern Rhone, but it's actually spread across 11 different villages. 

The appellation of Crozes-Hermitage actually forms what is effectively like a crescent moon shape around Hermitage. So they are geographically quite close in the sense that you could think of one as an ice cream cone turned upside down and the village is just under that ice cream cone and all of the vineyards are right on the ice cream cone itself. And then all around that is Crozes-Hermitage. 

So physically and geographically they are in the same area. But size-wise they're very different. And also in terms of the appellation and the geography, they're also very different. 

Where Hermitage is on a very steep slope that overlooks the Rhone River, Crozes-Hermitage is a much broader area.

It's split into a northern part, a southern part, and an eastern part, and all three of those bigger areas, if you will have different geographical features.

There are also a range of soils in this appellation across these three areas, and generally speaking, the soils are far more fertile than the soils that you would find in Hermitage.

The landscape here is a mix of both gentle and steep rolling hills in the north, and then in the south you get flatter, more fertile plains.

And the climate is also different. It's quite a bit cooler in the north part of Crozes-Hermitage than it is in the south where it's more temperate but there is a lot of exposure to the winds of the Rhone Valley in the area, so it generally makes for a cooler climate than say, compared to Hermitage. 

Of course, within that 1700 hectares, there are 

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plenty of microclimates, so there's a lot to play with. But if we're generally talking in general broad stroke terms, that's an important thing to remember in terms of the differences. 

So what does this mean in the glass? Now all of these factors actually combine to directly impact styles of wine that come from Crozes-Hermitage and how they are different from the wines that are coming from the Hermitage AOC.

The Crozes-Hermitage AOC shares the same grapes with the Hermitage AOC, namely Syrah, Marsanne, Roussanne, but the vinification methods are different as well. When I say vinification methods, the winemaking style. 

Generally speaking, that combination of climatic features, geographical features, and winemaking styles, lends to a broader variety of wines coming out of the Crozes-Hermitage appellation, and generally a more youthful approach to the wine in the glass. These wines tend to be more fruit forward. I'd say friendlier - definitely more oriented to immediate consumption.

They tend to be quite good with food and as I mentioned already, they're usually a very good price point as compared to Hermitage wines, which are designed for collection, for aging, for big meals, but later in time because if you open an Hermitage too soon, you might actually find you don't like it at all...versus a Crozes-Hermitage, which you could purchase and drink immediately. 

And that is also reflected in the price point of these two wines because there's less intense winemaking and expensive winemaking techniques, generally speaking, going into the Crozes-Hermitage wines than there is the Hermitage wines. 

Now this is not to say that one is better than the other. I do believe that they both have a place and you may actually prefer one over the other depending on your own personal preferences. 

If you're a consumer that likes to go to the store, buy a well-made wine, and be able to consume it as soon as you buy it, then Crozes-Hermitage is the appellation for you if you're wanting to explore the Northern Rhone Valley and really get your hands into some Hermitage-esque wines, if you will. 

 But if you want to 

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collect and hold on to really fantastic, well-known wines, then you probably would want to veer towards Hermitage, at least for that purpose. 

The one comment I will make is with the diversity of what is happening in the Crozes-Hermitage appellation, with it being so large and it is continually expanding - it's been expanded several times and I believe there's still room for expansion - there are a range of winemaking techniques and producers, and so it can be important to understand who the producer is for the wine that you're interested in. And that's where going to a specialty wine shop and talking to the shop staff can be very helpful cuz they can point you in the right direction.

Not to say again that there are wines that are not being produced that are high quality in Crozes-Hermitage, but there is more variability in the quality and the style. 

Some people do say that there's a lot of generic uninteresting wines coming out of the Crozes-Hermitage appellation. I don't necessarily agree with that.

I have had some fantastic wines from the Crozes-Hermitage appellation - some that I would even say were worthy of aging. But I do agree that with that much variety, it's important to maybe find a few producers that you're very interested in and follow their work and buy their wines, or speak to someone who can point you in the right direction or at least explain some of the differences and nuances to you.

Another thing that's worth noting is there is a real up and coming vibe in the Crozes-Hermitage appellation, with a lot of young winemakers willing to play with more modern and interesting winemaking techniques. So again, if you're drawn to that sort of style, Crozes-Hermitage is definitely for you!

Now, remember, there is no denying that Hermitage wines are such high quality and beautiful Syrah driven wines. They're age worthy. They have complex notes. They go beautifully with the right food at the right time. They are collector's items. 

But if you don't want to spend that kind of money or wait for that long, then I think Crozes-Hermitage is an appellation that you should definitely consider!

Okay, so who are some of the producers that you should know 

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about in either Hermitage or Crozes-Hermitage? 

Many of the producers that are large actually will make wines from both appellations. So those names are Jaboulet, Delas, Graillot, Guigal, Chave and Chapoutier. These are very important names in the Northern and some of them, the Southern Rhone appellations so keep those names in mind. These are larger producers. There's a bevy of smaller producers as well. 

So go out there and find yourself some fantastic wines from either Hermitage or Crozes-Hermitage to try!

If you do let me know what you think, and I have done a full blog post about this particular topic. So if you want to read what I've just talked about, head on over to www.wineitupanotch.com and look for the article about the differences between Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage. 

I think actually if you're studying wine, a very cool experiment could be to try both an Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage back to back, and not necessarily blind, maybe open label, or if you choose to blind, that's fine, but I think doing so would really help you to understand what I've talked about in this podcast and some of those nuances that are definitely there in the glass between these two appellations then think further about what exactly is causing them, whether it's the wine making techniques, the climate, or the geography of the appellation. 

With that, I will close off this podcast episode. I hope you've enjoyed it and learned something new. I hope you are inspired to try some beautiful wine, and I wish you, as always, lots of peace, love, light, and of course, good wine.

Until next time, see you later.