It all began with the mystic knight Henri-Gaspard de Sterimberg, who, on his return from the Albigensian crusades in the 13th century, realised the potential of this singular hill floating above the Drôme plain. Full of honour and tired of battles, he went to the court of King Louis VIII and settled on the hill of Tain overlooking the Rhone. Aspiring to find peace and serenity, he built a chapel on the hillside, on the site of a Roman temple dedicated to the legendary Hercules. He then led a hermit’s life, hence the name of the appellation Hermitage. Later he cultivated vines, and thanks to his hard work and the help of the terroir, his wines became increasingly popular with pilgrims and travellers. La Chapelle has spanned the centuries, and since 1919 the Jaboulet family and then the Frey family have succeeded each other in cultivating the vines of this now legendary cuvée.