If you have ever wondered whether the adjectives used to describe wine—spice, currants, pepper, blackberries, chocolate, leather, or licorice—match what your nose and palate can find, pour a glass of Hermitage Rouge, swirl, and take a careful sniff.
Hermitage Rouge is a classic, full-bodied red from France’s northern Rhône Valley, produced from Syrah vines planted on a single steep, terraced hillside above the town of Tain l’Hermitage. Of the hill’s roughly 326 acres, Cave de Tain owns or controls about 77, making it one of the largest single proprietors on the Hermitage slope.
Cave de Tain was founded in 1933 by Gambert de Loche with 100 members; today the cooperative represents some 330 growers and produces a range of Rhône wines, both red and white, including several bottlings of Hermitage Rouge. Their flagship Hermitage Rouge carries the Gambert de Loche name and delivers a deep-colored, textured wine built for aging.
Those traits are evident in the Gambert de Loche 2006 (approx. $90). On the nose it opens to blackberries, mushroom notes, and a subtle mineral edge; the palate finishes long and satisfying. For a wine of this pedigree, it remains youthful—cellaring it for a few more years will reward patience.
The Gambert de Loche 2005 (approx. $90) is impressive and powerful: lush, full-bodied, and concentrated, with spiced highlights like cinnamon, hints of chocolate, and ripe dark fruit. It shows clear potential to age gracefully over the long term.
From an earlier classic vintage, the Gambert de Loche 2001 (approx. $97.50) expresses supple, harmonious complexity and tightly packed flavors that reflect the year’s balance.
Even the Gambert de Loche 1999 (approx. $97.50) remains remarkably youthful. It presents solid structure and balance, with aromas that recall leather, smoke, and dark berries—qualities that have carried well through the years.
Hermitage is also known for its white wines, typically blends of Marsanne and Roussanne, which can be just as rich and long-lived as the reds. One noteworthy example is the Tain de Cave Hermitage Blanc Au Coeur des Siècles 2006 (approx. $57), made entirely from Marsanne grown on century-old vines. Golden in color, it shows toasty, aromatic layers—honeyed and peachy notes with an impression of stewed fruit balanced by a mineral backbone.
Whether you prefer red or white, Hermitage wines reward careful tasting and patience in the cellar. Their concentration, complexity, and age-worthiness make them excellent examples of northern Rhône terroir and the care taken by producers like Cave de Tain and its growers.