Marc Sorrel had just bottled his 1999s before my visit. The 1999 Hermitage revealed a soft, curranty character with surprisingly tart acidity. While it is an elegant, medium-bodied, pure offering, it is austere and lacks the density and power of his 1998, or 1997 for that matter. It will need to be drunk early in life as it will become more attenuated with aging. Not a single new oak barrel can be found in Sorrel's cellars, which are on the main street of Tain l'Hermitage. His one concession to modernism is his air-conditioned cellar. Production is small, with 1,000 cases of white and red Hermitage, and the rest Crozes-Hermitage.Importers: Cynthia Hurley Wine Imports, West Newton, MA; fax (617) 965-7530 and World Wine Import, Atlanta, GA; fax (404) 842-1487