Easily my favorite of the 2013s, the 2012 Hermitage le Greal comes mostly from the warmer le Meal lieu-dit, but incorporates 10% from Greffieux. It has good richness and depth in its peppery dark fruits, cured meat and tapenade-styled bouquet. This is followed by a full-bodied, fleshy, full and textured Hermitage that has solid mid-palate depth and enough structure to warrant a few years in the cellar.

Coming mostly from the limestone soils of the Meal lieu-dit, the 2012 Hermitage le Greal is fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged mostly in older barrels. It's a classic, old-school Hermitage that gives up lots of smoked herbs, meat juice, gravel, pepper and assorted dark fruits. Full-bodied, fleshy and beautifully ripe, with no shortage of texture, it has solid underlying structure and will have upwards of two decades of longevity.

Sorrel achieved the same percentage of natural alcohol in his 2010 Hermitage Le Greal, but production was slightly smaller because of some flowering issues with the Syrah. The 2010’s dense purple color is accompanied by notes of tapenade, damp earth, forest floor, charcuterie, blackberries and spice box. Full-bodied, soft, deep and surprisingly accessible for such a young Hermitage, it should firm up with bottle age and drink well for 12-15 years. (Not yet released) Importer: J.O.A. Imports, McLean, VA; www.jaowineimports.com

A stunning, potentially profound effort, the 2009 Hermitage Le Greal (14.6% natural alcohol) is a 30 to 35-year wine. Terrific aromas of charcoal, roasted meats, blackberries, boysenberries, licorice and graphite jump from the glass of this full-bodied, unctuously textured, thick, concentrated wine. Give it 5-7 years of cellaring and enjoy it over the following three decades. Importer: J.O.A. Imports, McLean, VA; www.jaowineimports.com

To reiterate, Domaine Sorrel’s flagship offering, the Hermitage Le Greal is a blend of fruit from the famed lieux-dits of Meal (90%) and Les Greffieux (10%). Fifty percent stems were utilized in the 2007 Hermitage Le Greal, which exhibits dense black currant fruit notes intermixed with notions of licorice, tapenade, earth, spice box and charcuterie. Medium to full-bodied with moderate, well-integrated tannins, it can be drunk now or cellared for 10-15 years. Sorrel’s holdings in Larnage in Crozes-Hermitage consist of equal parts Roussanne and Marsanne. In most vintages, Sorrel produces two cuvees of white Hermitage. The top white is Les Rocoules, which emerges from that well-know hillside site on the granite Hill of Hermitage. Importer: J. O. A. Imports, McLean, VA; www.jaowineimports.com