Les Bessards, Le Méal, and L'Hermite: The top climats in Northern Rhône's Hermitage AOC

Variations in soil type, combined with elevation differentials, have resulted in a number of distinctive planting zones (climats) within the Northern Rhône's Hermitage AOC. The variations in soil type are reflected in pH differences (almost neutral at Les Bessards and 8.5 at Le Méal) and this, according to Jean-Louis Chave, "provides one of the most simple arguments in favor of blending the wines from different climats" (Livingstone-Learmonth). With two exceptions (Chapoutier's Le Pavillon and Delas' Les Bessards), the leading red wines of the region are multi-climat blends.

Truly understanding the wines of the region requires a familiarity with the characteristics of the individual climats. We begin that effort with a review of the three most important: Les Bessards, Le Méal, and l'Hermite (drawing primarily from John Livingstone-Learmonth's The Wines of Northern Rhône). The geographical scope of the three zones is outlined in red below.

The three most important climats in Hermitage encircled in red.

(Underlying map sourced from tenzing.com)

Les Bessards
Les Bessards is 'the beating heart" of Hermitage, its biggest and best climat. This south-facing climat starts out flat in its lowest reaches and steepens markedly with increasing altitude. The soil story here is granite -- in varying forms of decomposition. The locals divide the climat into three zones based largely on the composition of the granite in each (see map slice below).

Approximate allocation of sub-climat boundaries and
soils distribution (underlying map slice a screen shot
from tenzing.com)

Les Bessards is primarily a Syrah site. The table below shows the main growers and the characteristics of the wines they produce.

Table 1. The role of Les Bessards in leading Hermitage red wines

Producer/Wine	Climat Role	Wine Character
Chapoutier/Pavillon	Source	“the Bessards granite gives a rigorous, mineral impact in its wines — there is a tension in the wine from the granite.”
Delas	Main contributor	“… complexity is the principal characteristic of our Bessards cuvée. Its richness sits well on a thoroughbred structure …”
Jaboulet/La Chapelle	1/4th	“… the finesse in their Bessards Syrah comes from the rotted granite …”
Chave/Hermitage	Foundation wine	“… our essential climat — you cannot make a Grand Hermitage without it … the frame around which we work; no granite — no long life.”

Source: Derived from The Wines of the Northern Rhone.

Delas produces Marsanne wines from a 1-ha plot at the bottom of Les Bessards. The soil here has some granite stones but is "more vegetal, deeper soil than elsewhere" in the climat.

Le Méal
This is the second ranked of the three great Hermitage climats and is a "perfect counterpoint" to Les Bessards:

• Les Bessards is oriented verticallly while Le Méal is oriented horizontally
• Les Bessards soil is all about granite while there are a multiplicity of soil types at Le Méal
• Le Méal is hotter than Les Bessards
• Largely due to the two preceding points, Le Méal produces "open, warm-structured Syrahs" versus the brooding and severe wines of its counterpart.

This south-facing climat is one of the steepest in the AOC, starting out flat and then rising quickly to its maximum height of 240 m.

The soil is comprised of light-colored glacier stones and loose soils of silt and sand from Tertiary era alpine glaciers. The stones radiate the sun's heat resulting in higher temperatures than in Les Bessards. Unlike the pH-neutrality at Les Bessards, the soils at Le Méal are alkaline. The soil difference between the two results in redder fruit being produced at Le Méal.

The soils at lower elevations contain a little more clay and are richer as a result. They are suitable for both red and white grapes.

The main producers in this climat are as follows:

• Jaboulet -- largest holder (6.8 ha); product from this climat is the core contributor (25% - 50%) to the producer's La Chapelle
• Chapoutier
• J-L Chave -- provider of flesh to Hermitage
• Sorrel -- Le Gréal (fruit from Le Méal combined with some Greffieux fruit)
• Bernard Faurie -- Le Méal

Chapoutier finds the wines of this climat to be "... very silken, full of ripe fruits" while Livingstone-Learmonth sees them as "... gloriously sumptuous, rich wines that can hold animal and meat undertones stemming from the natural heat" of the location.

L'Hermite
L'Hermite runs across the top of the Les Bessards and Lé Meal climats and, in one area, has a penninsula-like out-jutting that temporarily separates the two.

There is a mix of soils in this climat -- granite, crumbling granite, loess, and alpine detritus -- resulting in sudden changes in soil composition even in vineyard rows. The figure below shows the soils distribution and the grape varieties by soil type.

The dominant influence on L'Hermite are the loess and alluvial stones of its central and eastern portions. These soils can run up to 0.5 m in depth. The alluvial stones (galets) aid fruit ripening. "I would place L'Hermite as one of the three best white wine sites at Hermitage -- those that give the most luscious, ripe Marsanne fruit from mature vines ..." (Livingstone-Learmonth). Jean-Louis Chave sees L'Hermite as a site for white wines of "balance and finesse."

Syrah vines are planted on granite and alpine glacier residues. "L'Hermite's red wines always carry freshness and spice, ... In some vintages, there can be a lot of maturity, but still a sound acidity. Its tannins are usually quite tight and vivacious" (Jean-Louis Chave in The Wines of the Northern Rhone).

In addition to Chapoutier and Chave, the Cooperative and Guigal also grow fruit in this climat.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme