Maison Nicolas Perrin Hermitage Blanc - 2015

The history of Hermitage is very old and according to a number of books it goes back to the Romans (500 years before Christ). The local legend relates the story of an 18th century knight who, returning from a crusade, built a chapel at the top of a hill and lived there like a hermit, hence the name Ermitage. Returning from a trip to Ermitage in 1787, Thomas Jefferson, the American Ambassador in France, declared his admiration for this white wine the best wine in the world, with no equal. His comments on the red wines were just as praising Full-bodied, dark purple with exquisite flavours.

The terroirs for the whites are quite different. Generally Marsanne and Roussanne are planted on the high plateau on the localities of Maison Blanche and Roucoules. The soils are composed of Loess and limestone which are ideal for white varieties. The balance between the 2 varieties gives the wine a good acidity with great structure.

For the appellations of the northern Rhone Valley, 2015 was a truly exceptional year, almost without precedent!
After a mild, wet winter and particularly high temperatures in spring, summer brought a heatwave even hotter than 2003. Welcome rain arrived in abundance in mid-August, followed anew by glorious sunshine and a providential wind that guaranteed perfect sanitary conditions and a regular and rapid ripening of the grapes. And so the harvest benefited from optimum conditions during the first two weeks of September.

The prestigious hill overlooking the village of Tain lHermitage and the Rhne river. Located on the left bank of the river, this vineyard is south facing and is sheltered from the cold northern wind.

Natural winemaking, with yeasts native to Demi-Muids, the malo-lactic fermentation made naturally for this 2015 vintage. Maturing on fermentation lees for 9 months.