Marc Sorrel: an artisan from Hermitage

Old vines, great sites; in search of the Grail

By far the majority of the best plots on the Hermitage hill are owned by the big producers. One of the few exceptions is Marc Sorrel, whose sites are fantastic, although all too small so production is low. 2013 was a vintage of low yields in itself, but with clean, healthy fruit. The harvest was late across the region, but that suits Sorrel, as he favours late harvests, believing that riper grapes lead to a richer wine.

Sorrel learnt his craft at his father's side, and took over winemaking fully in 1984, when his father suddenly died. From this abrupt and challenging start, he has matured into a master of traditionally-styled Hermitage. His is a non-interventionist approach; he rarely de-stems, and his wines are unfined and unfiltered. After trials in 2004, he now uses around 25% new oak in both red and white wines, but with the fruit so dense, the oak will never take centre stage.

Sorrel maintains that his red Crozes-Hermitage is ready to be drunk young, but that his whites and the other reds amply repay some bottle age. The Greal rouge comes from very old vines mostly in the Meal vineyard, with about 5% of Marsanne and Roussanne. The addition of a small amount of these white grapes brings yet one more layer of finesse and complexity to the wine he thinks of as his "grail". /NT 

Offered subject to remaining unsold for shipment autumn 2015