Ermitage wines possess a rich historical past. They were appreciated in Roman times when they and Cote Rotie wines were enjoyed under the name of "Vienne 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.

The L’Ermite vineyard is situated at the top of the Hermitage hill, around the chapel, in a place named the Ermite. The vines are 80 years old planted in granitic soils which are very poor.

The color of the wine is a very deep garnet red, almost black. On the nose are black fruits with spices and ink overtones. The tannins are at the same time powerful and velvety. Smoky and pepper overtones are wonderful expressions of Syrah from granitic soil. Depending on the vintage, the wine can be kept from 30 to 60 years or from 50 to 75 years.

M. Chapoutier’s Ermitage “L’Ermite” 2015 is a flagship Northern Rhône Syrah from the L’Ermite lieu-dit high on the Hermitage hill, near the chapel, a site associated with very poor, stony granite soils. At about 14% alcohol, it’s a dry, full-bodied red built around concentration, mineral tension, and long-term aging. Chapoutier’s broader approach—widely linked to organic and biodynamic farming—shows through here in a wine that reviewers consistently frame as powerful but not blunt.

Critical reception is emphatically strong, led by two perfect scores. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate awarded 100 points, with Joe Czerwinski calling it “complex, balanced and long, a true tour de force,” praising its “incredible purity of cassis fruit” alongside “massive concentration.” Jeb Dunnuck also gave 100 points, highlighting a “searing granite/ozone-laced bouquet of crème de cassis, liquid rocks, graphite, and lead pencil,” and predicting “40-50 years of prime drinking,” while advising it “needs to be forgotten for 8-10 years.”

Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth (98 points) emphasizes its depth of fruit—“boysenberry, fig and blackberry compote”—matched with “melted black licorice” and a “long, refined echo of minerality,” concluding: “A stunning wine that will require significant cellaring,” and suggesting a long window (“Best from 2020 through 2045”).

At slightly lower but still excellent levels, Vinous rated it 96, with Josh Raynolds noting “dark fruit preserves, incense, black pepper, violet,” and a palate that’s “wonderfully concentrated yet energetic,” finishing “strikingly long” with “steadily building tannins.” James Suckling also scored 96, describing it as “very fragrant and aromatically complex already,” with “layers of grainy, fresh tannins,” and noting it is “from organically grown grapes,” with a recommendation to “Drink in 2022.”

Taken together, the 2015 L’Ermite reads as a serious, cellar-first Hermitage: ripe and generous in fruit, distinctly granite-marked, and structured for decades rather than immediate gratification.