2023 Hermitage Rouge, Le Gréal, Domaine Marc Sorrel, Rhône

Syrah with 5% Marsanne co-planted. 90% Le Méal, 10% Les Greffieux. Cask sample.

More floral than the straight Hermitage, with violet notes. Plenty of matière but lively and with energy as well. Firm, plentiful tannins coated and rounded by the fruit. Certainly has substance. A mix of power and finesse. Shows well today.

Drink 2030 - 2042

The 2023 Hermitage Le Gréal is on the road to success. Using roughly 10% of grapes from the Les Greffieux and 90% from the Le Méal lieux-dits, with the name Gréal being an attempt to transform both words into one, the 2023 was also co-fermented with 8% white varieties mostly Marsanne).

Swirling the glass unlocks pronounced verbena tea, crushed violet, rose water, stemmy subtleties, red plum, black cherry and fleshy flickers. Medium- to full-bodied, harmonious and well-defined, the 2023 is coming together really well. I can’t wait to taste it once bottled.

Drink 2028 - 2040

Powerful, explosive, peppery mulberry fruit. Very smoky in style, with iodine notes and lots of dense, ripe tannin underneath driving fruits. Very fresh and focused, with good acidity, but has that Hermitage size and body, that majestic, impressive attack and grandeur. Very tannic, again with some stalky notes from 100% whole bunch. 8% co-planted white varieties, all planted in 1926, the same date as the Rocoules vineyard. Will be epic when it's ready. Very ageworthy for a 2023.

Drink 2035 - 2049