Specifications:

• Region: Northern Rhône, France
• Primary Grapes: Syrah (red), Marsanne and Roussanne (white)
• Founded Date: The Crozes-Hermitage appellation was established in 1937.
• Alcohol Percentage: The alcohol percentage varies depending on the specific wine, but it is typically around 13.5% for red wines.

Description:

Crozes-Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in the northern Rhône wine region of 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.

Most of the wines produced here are red wines made from the Syrah grape, sometimes blended with small quantities of white Roussanne or Marsanne grapes. Some white wines are also made, based on Marsanne and/or Roussanne.

The Crozes-Hermitage wine region is focused more on producing red wines predominantly from the Syrah. The cultivation of the Syrah grape variety accounts for approximately 85%. The remaining 15% is covered by Marsanne and Roussanne.

The wines have plenty of bright fruit aromas but comparatively less structure and complexity than Hermitage. The prices that Crozes-Hermitage commands limit the usage of costly barrels to enhance those aspects. The better reds tend to age for only five to 10 years for the better reds. The whites are usually best consumed within a couple of years. The positive side to all of this is that the wines are much less expensive.

The fruit is grown on more fertile soil than found in the Hermitage vineyards, which encourages plant growth rather than optimal fruit ripening. In addition, the valley floor does not benefit from refreshing air currents or prolonged sunshine. This can lead to slightly stewed flavors in the wine in hot years. However there are many varied terroirs within Crozes-Hermitage. The area north of the town of Tain L’Hermitage benefits from a favorable mesoclimate and a warmth-retaining granite bedrock under predominantly clay-limestone soils. It produces richer, more-complex wines than those from the flatter lands to the south, where alluvial soils are more common. None of these vineyards benefits from the increased elevation or sunshine levels enjoyed by the south-facing hillsides further north.