La Pierrelle
Barruol / Lynch
by Chris Santini
The small hill of Hermitage is one of the rare sites in France where a hop, skip, or a jump can separate a lieu-dit of pure granite from one of hard limestone—two soil types formed over vastly disparate geological periods, today intertwined on this legendary slope. Most of the hill’s sites are composed of granite, which historically has been considered more favorable for rouge, often leaning toward the muscular side of the spectrum. La Pierrelle is one of the few lieux-dits of limestone, providing a terroir for blanc that has secured white Hermitage a spot on the Olympic pedestal of limestone legends (think top-tier Champagne or Meursault) that combine power and elegance, opulence and precision, and exceptional length.
Vigneron Louis Barruol also makes an uncommon rouge from this same limestone, a showcase in restraint and understatement all too rare for Syrah produced on this hill. What the Pierrelle rouge lacks in brawn, it makes up for with chiseled focus, fresh and floral aromatics, and finesse.
Louis likes to point out that, unlike a Côte-Rôtie, which often exhibits all of its beauty in its youth, a great Hermitage needs time to reveal its deeper nature. “La Pierrelle,” he says, “requires patience and trust of the terroir.”
2019 Hermitage Blanc “La Pierrelle”
France | Northern Rhône
2020 Hermitage Rouge “La Pierrelle”
France | Northern Rhône