The Hermitage Blanc Le Gréal comes from 60+ year-old vines in the Le Meal vineyard and is a blend of roughly 95% Syrah with 5% Marsanne. It is not made every year and production is tiny at around 200 cases per vintage. The 2017 vintage was stellar in the Rhône and this is a fabulous release of incredible richness, power and complexity. Awash with creamy dark fruits, beautiful aromatic complexity and firm, but supple tannins, this is a classic in the making with at least a 20-year potential life span
Producer Information
Marc Sorrel is a leading estate in the Hermitage appellation of the northern Rhône, producing traditionally styled, long-lived red wines from Syrah as well as white wines from Marsanne and Roussanne. The estate was founded in 1928 by Félix Sorrel and from 1984 to 2018, was run by his grandson Marc. Today, Marc’s son Guillaume is at the helm of the domaine.The estate is best known for its Hermitage wines, sourced from several plots on the famous hillside. Typically, the vines are planted on granite-based soils, and enjoy the region’s sunny, south-oriented mesoclimate. Some of the vines are more than 60 years old, and produce tiny yields of intensely concentrated berries.There are four Hermitage wines in Marc Sorrel’s current portfolio – two red and two white and are varietal expressions of Syrah and Marsanne respectively. The top red wine, Le Gréal, is produced in tiny amounts from the best old vine parcels of Syrah within the estate with a small portion of Marsanne. The white wine, Les Rocoules, is predominantly Marsanne with a little Roussanne. Marc Sorrel also makes a red and a white Crozes-Hermitage wine.
