Marc Sorrel Hermitage Blanc Les Rocoules 2021 (750ml) *

White wine from Hermitage is a specialty within the northern Rhone, built mostly on Marsanne with its weight and lanolin richness. This bottling comes from the lieu-dit Les Rocoules, a parcel where the vines are close to a century old, and Marc Sorrel takes it in a deliberately unadorned direction: no new oak, so nothing stands between the fruit and the site. The 2021 vintage speaks in that register, full-bodied but strung tight.

The nose leans more toward presence than overt perfume at this stage, deep notes of honey, mango and honeysuckle giving way to dried flowers, linden blossom, lemon peel, quince and yellow apple. On the palate it is rich and full, but a firm seam of acidity and a pronounced mineral streak keep it energetic and light on its feet. It dives deep, then closes long and cleansing, the finish razor-sharp and persistent.