From yields of just 18 hectoliters per hectare, Sorrel's 2019 Hermitage Le Greal is a great way for Guillaume Sorrel to announce his ascension to the helm of the family business. Scents of crushed stone and delicate herbal underpinnings accent waves of ripe, velvety cherry fruit, while the full-bodied palate is rich and concentrated but never seems heavy, instead finishing long, with an impressive degree of elegance. 2,500 bottles produced. JC

Deep, glistening magenta. Hugely expressive cherry, blackberry, espresso and floral aromas, along with suggestions of smoked meat, licorice and star anise. Deeply concentrated as well as energetic on the palate, offering intense black and blue fruit preserve, fruitcake, exotic spice and floral pastille flavors that stretch out and take on a smoky mineral aspect as the wine opens up. Finishes extremely long and juicy, showing sharp delineation, steadily building tannins and strong mineral thrust on the floral-accented finish.

A rich, full-bodied style. Velvety tannins, there's more fruit here than in their cuvée classique with finer tannins and a long finish. . Good balance between aromatic freshness, acidity and tannin. The alcohol is higher than a normal year. 100-year-old vines, a yield of 18hl/ha. 100% whole bunch, A yield of 25hl/ha from lieux-dits Les Greffieux and Le Méal.

90% Syrah, 10% Marsanne. Cask sample. Tasted at the domaine. Meaty and ferrous but at the same time with a vibrant freshness. A firm palate with bacon, spice, pepper and ashy smoky notes. Ripe and rich and concentrated with really fine, delineated tannins. Creamy mouthfeel at the moment, which will integrate. (AC)

An absolute blockbuster of an Hermitage that tastes like the blood of Syrah, the 2019 Hermitage Le Greal sports a saturated purple hue to go with insane aromatics of pen ink, smoked meats, burning embers, currants, and ground pepper. Massively concentrated, full-bodied, structured, and yet also flawlessly balanced, this legendary Hermitage is going to need a decade or more to get close to maturity, and I suspect it will have 40-50 years of overall longevity. I wouldn't be surprised if the 1961 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle tasted similar to this on release.