2015 Marc Sorrel Hermitage Le Greal

Producer
Marc Sorrel
Origin
Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone/southern France FRANCE
Colour
red
Wine Style
dry
Dominant Grape
Syrah/Shiraz
Closure Style
cork
Maturity
drink or keep
Bottle Size
75cl
Case Quantity
6
Alcohol
13.5%
Wine Score
95 points, Josh Raynolds, vinous.com, Mar 2018 97+ points, Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com, Dec 2017 6 stars, John Livingstone-Learmonth, drinkrhone.com, Dec 2016

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2015 Marc Sorrel Hermitage Le Greal

Media Reviews

Josh Raynolds

Lurid violet. Heady, expansive aromas of black raspberry, cassis, green olive, incense and violet carry an exotic spice overtone. Densely packed and focused on the palate, displaying superb clarity to the sappy dark fruit preserve, floral pastille and spicecake flavours. Distinctly powerful, yet there`s surprisingly liveliness here as well. Finishes extremely long and sweet, featuring intense mineral thrust, a spicy cracked pepper note and mounting tannins. 95 points

Joe Czerwinski

Marc Sorrel says, “I think it’s the best vintage I’ve made,” of the whole-cluster-fermented 2015 Hermitage Le Greal, and who am I to argue with that? It’s a profoundly deep and intense wine, rich in mouth-drying tannins, yet packed with cassis fruit and notes of licorice, mocha and black olives. Give this full-bodied wine another 7 years in the cellar, and drink it over the next two decades. 97+ points

John Livingstone-Learmonth

(228-litre cask) the robe has an inky darkness, is really profound. The nose is perfumed, gives blackberry with a softly sustained depth, is filled with very primary fruit, the fruit presented with seamless layering. This has a stylish, wonderful attack, offers classy bounty, covers the ground every way, glides on filled content, its silken tannins making a great connection. This holds fine juice, detail, is a complete package. It ends on drops of salt, has supreme balance. Nature’s Child here – man not needed. It is sultry and clear, all in one glass. There is a wee glow on the aftertaste – it is 14.2°. “The tannins are very soft, very ripe,” Marc Sorrel. From say 2021, but leave it as long as you can. 2053-56 Apr 2016 Previously Dec 2015 ****** (228-litre oak cask, sugars and malo completed) very dark robe – it is shiny and beckoning, with black and purple tints. This has a wide panorama nose, gives smoke, licorice, with salt and crushed nutshells, an air from the stems. The deptth is genuine and sustained. The palate gives a silken, expansive greeting – it appeals from its orb-like qualities, a winning roundness, while its tannins creep in on the finish, a light squeeze of crunch there. There are multilayers of gras here, all sealed in together. It is very rich, also very clear, and I find it incredible that its tannins are already largely integrated. There are shades of ripe Pinot in this Grand Vin, one with a long future. This sun-filled year is possibly like 1990, but is better, fresher, more balanced in my view. Similar to Méal 1961, or perhaps 1947? From – well, eventually! I wouldn’t be in any hurry, simply to allow the wine to display as much complexity as it possibly could. 6 stars

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