Appellation

Crozes-Hermitage

VillageAOPRedWhite

Rhône Valley › Northern Rhône · Recognised on 4 March 1937

Village
Regional

Key points

The largest output of the northern Rhône: 80,400 hl a year (2019).
At most 45 hl/ha (40 if rows 2.50–2.75 m apart); 10.5% natural alcohol or more.
Syrah for the reds; Marsanne and Roussanne for the whites.

Grape varieties

Red

Syrah

Allowed as a small share of the red wine: Marsanne, Roussanne (15% at most of the vines in each plot)

Syrah · at least 85% of the holding's vines

White varieties allowed only as interplants among the Syrah vines

Syrah also makes up at least 85% of the blend

White

Allowed varieties

Marsanne Roussanne

Production rules

10.5
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
4,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density

Terroir

Soils: North: terraced granite slopes, like the Hermitage hill
Lie of the land: South: terraces of Alpine gravel, among them Les Chassis
Climate: Clearer Mediterranean influence south of Tain

Wine style

Red
deep garnet colour
aromatic
structured, not heavy
firmer from the hillsides
White
pale, green-tinged colour
citrus, lively (drink young)
floral, spicy, rich (keeps)

Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence

Map

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Coordinates:: 45.0560, 4.8828
Geometry source:: INAO

A northern Rhône cru on the river's left bank, opposite Tournon and north of Valence, covering eleven communes in the Drôme, Tain-l'Hermitage among them; to the north, its area borders that of Hermitage. Recognised in 1937 for the commune of Crozes-Hermitage alone, the appellation, which may also be spelt "Crozes-Ermitage", was extended to eleven communes in 1952. It makes mainly Syrah reds, plus whites from Marsanne and Roussanne. In the north, terraced granite slopes much like those of Hermitage; in the south, the larger part, broad and flatter stony terraces, among them the one called "Les Chassis".

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