Do you know the birthplace of Syrah?

Sunrise on the Chapel of Hermitage.

Veterans of war seldom speak directly of their worst experiences, pain, regrets, or fallen comrades left behind on foreign soil. Many never recover, regain full strength, and pass on without making a mark. Some, however, do leave a mark.

Gaspard de Stérimberg was a wounded veteran returning home from fighting in the Albigensian Crusade in 1224 when he petitioned his queen for a piece of land. A place where he could mend and live a life of solitude. Queen Blanche of France granted him land atop a hill next to a chapel built on a Roman temple site first mentioned in manuscripts from the 1100s. The chapel was known in that day as the Prior Chapel of Saint-André-le-Bas of Vienna. 

The chapel overlooked France’s Rhone river and the peaceful towns of Tain and Tournon. Knight Gaspard de Stérimberg built a small refuge on the hillside, living as a hermit above the fray of everyday life. The commanding view of the high ground was perfect for a military man who understood its importance. The towns below hemmed in by a river could be easily defended if necessary. He also understood the importance of the warm south-facing slope and went about his business, planting native vines that had been cultivated for centuries by monks. Over time other hermits joined the Knight living there throughout the 16th to 18th centuries. Little did he know this would become one of the world’s most prestigious appellations, The Hill of Hermitage, Hermits Hill, and the birthplace of Syrah.  

To further appreciate the wine of Hermitage, its historical popularity must be brought to light. French kings, writers, and poets have come to love it. In 1642 King Louis XIII made Hermitage a wine of France’s royal court after being offered a glass during a visit to the region.

King Louis XIV, known as the Sun King and architect of Versailles, loved Hermitage so much that he gifted King Charles II of England two hundred casks. French poet and critic Boileau and author Alexandre Dumas loved Hermitage, and winemakers from Bordeaux once hermitage’d, or blended their wines with Hermitage to improve the taste and the price. Hermitage grew to international fame and was treasured by the Romanovs, and Tsar Nicolas II imported it to Russia for personal consumption.

England also came to know and love Hermitage, as shown by the inclusion in Thomas Shadwell’s comedy of 1680, The Woman-Captain. In the opening scene, the character Sir Humphrey states, “Champaign and Burgundy…and Hermitage, wines as superior to those of Langoon and Bordeaux, which they deem suitable only for porters and carriers.” Hermitage remained top of the wine world for centuries and, in 1937, was awarded AOC status, the highest quality level in the French vineyard classification system.

The Chapel of St. Christopher currently stands on the hill and was built in 1864 and restored in 1980. The surrounding appellation is divided into several vineyards. At the apex of the slope are the L’Hermite and La Chapelle vineyards. Negociant firm Paul Jaboulet Aine now makes two iconic wines in honor of the hill’s history, The Knight of Sterimberg and the famous The Chapel.

Hermitage wine is a standard bearer, and the Syrah grape is its shining star. The Knight Stérimberg made a permanent mark on history and everyone who comes to know his wine.