From the hill of Hermitage 

And an ever-more elegant Crozes

The reports are in. Up and down the Rhone Valley, 2015 is one of the finest vintages in many years. And especially in the North, according to some, it is destined to be legendary. Now, Marc Sorrel is a quiet, humble man not given to hyperbole. You might even say inscrutable. But even he glows with satisfaction when describing his 2015s. He should do. When we visited last Tuesday in the pouring rain and low cloud the wines were a massive bright spot in the early morning gloom. 2015 was a year of sun and sunshine and this is beautifully reflected in the wines. The whites show considerable power and derive their freshness from terroir and minerality, while the reds are cool yet ripe and full, showing wonderful elegance in fruit and texture.

With vineyard holdings on some of the top sites on the hill of Hermitage, Sorrel is an unapologetically traditional producer. He doesn't hold with the modern vogue for single site bottlings, maintaining that Hermitage was traditionally always blended. Even his prestige red cuvee Le Greal is an assemblage from two of the greatest sites on the hill (Le Meal and Les Greffieux) and includes 10% Marsanne. 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 intense, the oak will never take centre stage.

Marc took over the family domaine in 1984, and fairly soon acquired holdings in Crozes-Hermitage. The vines on these sites were young then, but their maturity now is reflected in the new levels of complexity and finesse. /NT

Offered subject to confirmation for shipment autumn 2017