Domaine Marc Sorrel Hermitage dry white 2017

PRESENTATION OF DOMAINE SORREL
+ ALL ITS OTHER WINES IN STOCK

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Domaine Marc Sorrel Hermitage 2017 dry white

Guide RVF des Meilleurs Vins de France 2020 (August 2019): 17/20. The 2017s are broader than the 2016s. In this vintage profile, only the great terroirs have the capacity to retain energy. The Hermitage blanc seems older than its age: the ample and powerful palate retains a beautiful relief in the finish.

Guide Bettane + Desseauve 2020 (August 2019): 17.5/20. Broad, open, ample, generous with fresh fruit (pear, white peach), rich texture that has well digested its high maturity (14 °), it will be perfect with sweetbreads. Peak drinking window: 2018-2032.
Food and wine pairings: turbot and John Dory, fish and shellfish dishes, Spanish cuisine, salmon, shellfish, pasta and risottos with fish or seafood.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski, Dec. 2019): 92-94/100. Less rich than the 2018, but perhaps a little zestier, the 2017 Hermitage Blanc is still a full-bodied, honeyed wine, with ripe notes of pear, melon and a touch of pineapple. A dash of white pepper on the long finish perks things up even further. Drink date 2021-2035.

Marc Sorrel officially retired at the end of 2018. His son, Guillaume, has taken over. He led me through an extensive barrel tasting in the domaine's small cellars located near the Mairie and bridge to Tournon. Parking is never easy here, but it's worth the walk if you can't find a spot, as the wines from 2017 and 2018 are stunning, fitting testaments to Marc's final vintages. According to Guillaume, they're two years that resemble each other, although he finds more freshness in 2018 and more tannin in 2017. Much of his time will be spent in the vineyards, where he said a big number of vines needed to be replaced. In the cellar, he's using a bit more sulfur to keep the wines fresher during their two years of elevage, and he's no longer going to bottle barrel by barrel, which should help improve the consistency of the wines in the market. At the risk of repeating myself, don't miss the 2017s and 2018s here — especially the Les Rocoules and Le Greal.

Technical sheet written by the domaine:

Grapes: 100% Marsanne from the lower Greffieux, located under the Méal, known for its delicacy.

Vinification and aging: in oak barrels.

Tasting: bouquet of almond flowers, rich and subtle wine, with intense and prolonged flavor.

Vines: about fifteen years old.

Cellaring: 10 to 20 years.

Pairings: fish.