2018 Jean-Michel Sorrel Hermitage Le Vignon, Vieilles Vignes Lot 2
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Tasting notes
Deep, vivid ruby. Smoky, mineral-tinged aromas of ripe cherry and dark berries, licorice, game and violet. Broad and sappy in the mouth, offering gently sweet blackberry, cherry-cola, floral pastille and salty olive flavors and a nervy snap of cracked pepper. Shows solid thrust and spicy cut on the floral-tinged finish, which is given shape by steadily building tannins. Made with one-third whole clusters and raised in neutral oak barrels.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
A truly brilliant Hermitage, the 2018 Hermitage Le Vignon Vieilles Vignes comes from vines in the Bessards, Greffieux, and Plantiers, with aging occurring in older cask, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. There are a scant 400 cases or so produced, but it's well worth seeking out and certainly shows the style and quality of this great vintage. Beautiful cassis, acacia flowers, graphite, bacon fat, and liquid violet-like notes all soar from this stunning Hermitage, and it's medium to full-bodied, with the vintage’s forward, seamless style, perfectly ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's already impossible to resist, and while I don't think it's going to be the longest-lived Hermitage out there, it's going to cruise on its purity and balance.