2001 Hermitage Le Greal
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
Good deep ruby-red. Very pure aromas of black fruits, violet and bitter chocolate. Concentrated, lush and sweet, with intense, sharply delineated flavors of black cherry, chocolate, spices, pepper and flinty minerality. Very densely packed without being at all heavy. Rock-solid Hermitage, finishing with firm but fine tannins and outstanding persistence. Give this another seven or eight years of aging.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The creme de la creme is represented by Sorrel’s Hermitage Le Greal, a stunning old vine cuvee produced from some of the estate’s finest hillside vineyard parcels. The blockbuster 2001 Hermitage Le Greal’s dense black/purple color is accompanied by aromas of ink, blackberries, licorice, and hints of earth and pepper. Weighty, full-bodied, rich, thick, and juicy with tremendous texture and great presence on the palate, this 2001 will be at its peak between 2007-2020. Sadly, there are only 350 cases of this profound red Hermitage. Importers: Cynthia Hurley Wine Imports, West Newton, MA; fax (617) 965-7530 and World Wine Import, Atlanta, GA; fax (404) 842-1487
(14% natural alcohol, from fruit picked very late; 75% destemmed) Saturated ruby-blue color. Brooding aromas of blackcurrant, violet and licorice, with hints of pepper and more exotic, superripe fruits. Extremely concentrated and dense; very powerful and consistent. Dark berry flavors offer outstanding thrust and palate coverage. Very long on the aftertaste, with toothcoating tannins that are strong but not hard. Not far off in quality from the great '98 Greal, and perhaps a bit less sauvage than that earlier vintage.