Crozes Hermitage La Matiniere Ferraton 2012.

Crozes-Hermitage is an appellation of the northern Rhone valley in France. It covers a relatively large area on the eastern bank of the Rhone river, to the north and south of Tain L’Hermitage town. Much larger than the prestigious Hermitage appellation which it surrounds, Crozes-Hermitage is also much more prolific. In 2011 almost 70,000 hl of wine were produced and sold under the Crozes-Hermitage title – more than the other seven northern Rhone appellations combined.

The vast majority (around 90 percent) of Crozes-Hermitage wines are red, and made predominantly from Syrah. The remaining 10 percent are white Crozes-Hermitage Blanc wines made from Roussanne and Marsanne. Interestingly, these two white wine varieties are also used to a limited extent in many of the red wines (as is the fashion with Syrah and Viognier in Cote Rotie).