CASE PRICE = $75.99 per bottle (add 12+ quantity to your basket)
Summary
The little chapel of Saint-Christophe is situated at the top of the hillside. It was built in 1235 by the knight Gaspard de Stérimberg after he gained the permission of the ‘White Queen of Castille’ to establish his hermitage on this hill after being injured during the Albigensian crusade of 1224
Terroir: From the steep, terraced hillside of Hermitage the Chevalier de Sterimberg is sourced from domaine vines averaging 35+ years old. Soils a a combination of clay, sand, pebbles and chalk. The lack of nutrients in the soil force the vines deep into the subsoil leading to extremely low yields.
Vinification: The grapes are hand harvested and brought to the bottom of the hill in small plastic sleds. The wine is vinified and aged exclusively in oak barrels and on its less for 10 to 12 months before bottling.
Notes
Clear, straw gold color with green hints. Rich and complex, its aromas of apricot, Viennese pastries and violets blend into a remarkably powerful, lightly oaked bouquet. Lively and fresh at first, developing an elegant sensation of fullness, upheld by an agreeably light structure.
Ratings & Reviews
94 Points - The Wine News:"Shimmering pale gold hue. Pleasing bouquet of pink grapefruit and bacon fat. Complex, layered flavors of white flowers and yellow and orange fruit accented by an appealing hint of lemongrass. Very fresh with an extremely long finish." (Oct 1, 2009)
92 Points - Wine Spectator Magazine:
"Bright and friendly, with crunchy acidity weaving through the green and yellow apple, melon and quince flavors. Stays juicy and bright on the finish, with a lingering hint of apple skin. Drink now through 2015. 830 cases made." –JM (May 31, 2010)
93 Points - Wine Spectator Magazine:
"Captivating, with star fruit, anise, Jonagold apple, chamomile and heather honey aromas and flavors that rush along a creamy but detailed and focused frame. The long, finely tuned finish has fine buried minerality. Marsanne and Roussanne. Drink now through 2014. 941 cases made." –JM (Mar 31, 2009)
91 Points - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:"Light
gold. Intensely floral bouquet of honeysuckle, magnolia, papaya, dried
peach, smoked meat and minerals. Round and fleshy on entry but
firmer-edged in the middle, showing vivid pit and exotic fruit character
and a stony undercurrent. Smoothly blends richness and sappy energy,
finishing with excellent lift and cut. A sweet note of yellow plum
lingers seductively." - Josh Raynolds (Jan/Feb '09)
91 Points - Wine & Spirits Magazine:"A blend of 65 % marsanne and 35% roussane grown at the top of the Hermitage hill, this has the richness of marzipan. Its very ripe, redolent of honey and pineapple, a generous companion for scallops in brown butter."
90 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"Another big wine is the rich 2007 Hermitage Chevalier de Sterimberg blanc, which offers a honeyed richness, tropical fruit, marmalade, quince, and white currant characteristics. Medium to full-bodied and long, it should evolve for 10-15 years." - Robert Parker (Apr 2009)
