Ermitage wines possess a rich historical past. They were appreciated as early on as Roman times when they were enjoyed (as well as Cote Rotie wines) under the name of "Vienne wines" and were later to be called "Saint Christopher's hillside wines" because of a chapel there bearing the saint's name. They were also to be known of as “Tournon wines".

The name of Ermitage probably first appeared in the 17th Century in memory of Henry Gaspard, a knight from Sterimberg who, having come back from the Crusades (in the 13th Century) and tired of waging war, lived as a hermit on a hillside which had been given to him by Anne of Castille, Queen of Spain. There he planted a vineyard.

Chapoutier’s Ermitage le Meal, 100% Syrah, is produced with grapes coming from the Meal hillside. This slope is composed of high terraces of shingles and clay. The vines are about 50 years old.

The color is deep garnet red with purple lights during its youth. The wine has ripe fruits and smoky aromas, powerful tannins, and taste of velvety, blackberry jam. Depending on the vintage, the wine can be kept from 30 to 60 years or from 50 to 75 years.