By Lorcan O'Brien | Wine Communications & Content Manager
Syrah, when grown in its Northern Rhône homeland produces wines with a deliciously savoury and peppery style, that make it a perfect choice for these long winter nights.
Arguably the finest example of Northern Rhône Syrah are the wines from the prestigious Hill of Hermitage. With a unique climate and aspect, overlooking the Rhône river, it produces wonderfully perfumed and elegant red wines that are amongst the most eagerly sought wines on the planet. For a study in terroir Hermitage is the ultimate test subject!
Shaped by generations of grape growers, with its little dry stone walls, the imposing hill exposes its steep, south-facing terraces, sheltered from the northerly winds that can wreak havoc in the Northern Rhône.
The beautifully manicured vineyards of Hermitage belie the difficulty of farming and harvesting grapes- everything needs to be done by hand, as machinery cannot access the precipitous slopes. Despite this, the price of land on the unique hillside is astronomical and consolidated under a handful of growers.
One of the leading producers in the Northern Rhône is the Cave de Tain co-operative, located at the foot of the hill in the town of Tain. As a cooperative, the company is run and directed by its growers-members. They produce a range of typically elegant wines with wonderful fruit purity and blance.
Cave de Tain are consistently regarded as one of the best run cooperatives in France at the moment.