Marc Sorrel Hermitage 2022 Staggering Quality

Marc Sorrel Hermitage is sourced from three plots on the hill of Hermitage. Most of it comes from the 50-year-old vines of Les Plantiers, with smaller portions being from 40-year-old vines at Les Bessards and Les Greffieux. These wines are thought to be as good a quality as the 2010s and 1999s. What that means is that Marc Sorrel Hermitage 2022 is a wine to put in your cellar for 30 to 40 years to truly enjoy the majesty of this wine. Marc Sorrel Hermitage 2022 , and all wines are eligible for at least 5% off any six bottles. And 10% off any 12 bottles. Some wines will be at a more significant discount and not subject to further discounts. Marc Sorrel is an Estate that has improved significantly over the last 30 years. Marc's son Guillaume works in the vineyard to improve the quality of the fruit coming in. Guillaume is also more consistent in the winery, meaning the quality is more regular. The style is traditional, with not a lot of new oak, long aging in the winery and bottling without fining or filtration. The overall goal is to make great wines that last for a long time. Marc Sorrel Hermitage 2022 Wine Review Alistair Cooper, MW JancisRobinson.com 16.5/20 ‘Cask sample. Really expressive on the nose, bright red fruit and olives, white pepper and violets. The palate is textured and the tannins are fine with a real grip and density as well. Lovely balance and richness with a lick of acidity and finesse. Serious Crozes! (AC) Drink: 2026-2036’ September 2023 JamesSuckling.com 96 Points ‘A lively, vertical, well-driven and laser-focused Crozes-Hermitage. It has aromas of spiced cherries, violets, gingerbread and sweet spices. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and bright acidity. It has a crisp, juicy and transparent core of succulent berries and violets at the center. So much tension and drive that is rarely found in the appellation. Crushed stones and minerals on the center palate with violets and spices mingling around. Racy and extremely refined, with a silky, vibrant and long finish. Drink or hold.’  Apr 2024 Hermitage The hill of Hermitage may a well be the centre of the world for Shiraz lovers. Sure the Cote Rotie gets more attention. But the dense, dark, brooding and aromatic Shiraz from this hill that slowly evolves to become a pretty, lifted, melange of fruits is well worth your time and patience. Don’t underestimate the whites from Hermitage either; the blend of Marsanne and Roussanne is a powerful combination, and on the Hill of Hermitage, the whites can equally Grand Cru Burgundy. Shiraz/Syrah A bit of a chameleon, Shiraz can change how it looks depending on the terroir and/or winemaker influence. The Syrah-based wines of Northern Rhone are dry and austere while the Shiraz of Barossa is opulent and fleshy. A variety that lends itself to long aging but can be drunk at any time of its evolution. Rhone Valley One of the great wine regions in the world. Situated along the Rhone river in South-East France, there is a distinct divide between the Syrah dominant North where the Mistral wind cools and regulates the temperature and the hot lands in the South where Grenache is at its peak. The region produces everything from easy-going quaffers to wines that demand long-term cellaring. Whites can be outstanding such as Viognier made in Condrieu, and Rosé makes a fair impression too. French Wine The land that so many New World (not European) wine producers look to emulate. To generalise about French wine, I would say it is savoury, lighter-bodied wine. They are the definition of elegant, complex. There are many styles, though. And there is a French wine for every palate. They lead the world in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy. Sparkling Wine in Champagne. Cabernet and Merlot in Bordeaux. Syrah(Shiraz) and Grenache in the Rhone Valley. Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris in Alsace. Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley. Gamay in Beaujolais. Wine Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years. The wine grape is pretty special. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins. Human inputs can influence the final product. This includes the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too. The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. This is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different. Red Wine Fun fact; most of the colour for wines comes from the skins. There are only a handful of grapes that have red juice. Alicante is the most well known of these grapes. By macerating the juice on the skins, the wine gains tannins and flavours. Certain compounds change the chemistry of the wine too. Red wines tend to have higher alcohol. More tannin and more oak flavours compared to other styles of wine. But the thousands of grapes and terroirs they grow in influence this. The Wine Depository I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door. Marc Sorrel Hermitage 2022