2023 Hermitage

Driving along the main road into Tain L’Hermitage past the building marked "M. Sorrel," you might assume the sleek, modern facade belongs to a large-scale winery. In reality, the truth is quite the opposite. Guillaume Sorrel, the fourth generation of his family to produce wines here, oversees just 2.5 hectares of vineyards in Hermitage and 1.5 hectares in Crozes-Hermitage. That’s it. To put the scale into perspective, the estate's entire 2022 production across both appellations amounted to just 13,084 bottles. Guillaume Sorrel took over from his father in 2018, with the 2019 vintage marking the first where he had full control. Sorrel typically ferments his reds with 100% whole clusters, though he makes exceptions in years like 2021 and 2024 when all the stems do not meet his quality standards. While the Crozes-Hermitage wines are rock solid, the true magic lies in the Hermitage offerings. Among the reds from Hermitage, there are two: the classic Hermitage and the high-end Hermitage Le Gréal. The latter is crafted with roughly 90% of grapes from Le Méal and 10% from Les Greffieux. For his Hermitage Le Gréal, Sorrel often co-ferments up to 10% Marsanne, which is co-planted in the vineyards, helping to maintain overall freshness and bring floral nuances to the wine. Similarly, the white Hermitages include both a straight Hermitage Blanc and the highly sought-after Hermitage Blanc Les Rocoules. Both whites are blended with approximately 90% Marsanne and 10% Roussanne. Sorrel excelled in both 2022 and 2023, with the powerhouse 2022 Hermitage Blanc Les Rocoules nearly knocking me out of my socks.