The 1990 Hermitage-Le Greal (made from vines planted in 1928) attained 13.7% alcohol, naturally! This blockbuster-styled wine reveals an opaque black/purple color, as well as a promising nose of licorice, damp earth, leather, and black-raspberries. An awesomely concentrated, full-bodied, and enormously weighty and massive wine, its tough-textured, tannic yet impressively long finish suggests that considerable cellaring is required. It will prove to be an extraordinary Hermitage, but how many readers are prepared to wait the minimum 10-15 or more years for the tannins to melt away? Anticipated maturity: 2005-2040. Marc Sorrel, the son of the late Henri Sorrel, continues to be one of only a handful of winemakers in the world to bottle not only his red wines, but also his whites, without filtration. Sorrel's tannic 1990 reds are savage and ferocious in their backwardness and full-bodied, rustic styles.Importer: Vinstar Imports, Kenwood, CA.