The Secret Sorrel: A Micro-Production Hermitage from 1893 Roots
2019 Jean-Michel Sorrel Le Vignon Hermitage
In the tiny, incestuous world of Hermitage, the name "Sorrel" is royalty. Most collectors clamor for the wines of Marc Sorrel, whose bottles now command $250 to $500+. But quietly, just down the road, his cousins—Jean-Michel, Jacques, and Bruno (JMB Sorrel)—are farming a microscopic sliver of the same hill, producing …
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The "Other" Sorrel: While Marc Sorrel’s wines have become investment vehicles, JMB Sorrel remains a true grower’s wine. You are paying for the granite, not the hype
Grand Cru Terroir: Sourced from Les Bessards (granite) and Les Greffieux (clay-limestone), the same lieux-dits that make up the world’s most expensive Syrahs
$69.99
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Tasting notes
Aroma
A profound, smoky nose of crushed blackberry, black olive tapenade, violets, and campfire ash, with a distinct note of cured mea
Palate
Dense and brooding on the palate, with a core of iron-rich fruit that feels heavy and noble. The tannins are firm but fine-grained (thanks to the Greffieux soil), leading to a finish that tastes of granite dust and dark chocolate
Red Wine Body Profile
Light
Bold
Body Profile
Structured
79/100 Intensity
Light
Bold
79.0/100
Feather-light
Delicate
Lifted
Structured
Deep
Grapes
100% Syrah
ABV
14.0%
Serving
55–60°F
Window
2025–2036
Product Description
Everyone knows Marc Sorrel, but his cousins Jean-Michel, Jacques, and Bruno farm the same legendary hill for a fraction of the price
In the tiny, incestuous world of Hermitage, the name "Sorrel" is royalty. Most collectors clamor for the wines of Marc Sorrel, whose bottles now command $250 to $500+. But quietly, just down the road, his cousins—Jean-Michel, Jacques, and Bruno (JMB Sorrel)—are farming a microscopic sliver of the same hill, producing a wine that offers the same pedigree for under $100.
The scale of this operation is almost comical: The brothers farm just 2.5 acres (1 hectare) of vines.
From this garden-sized plot, they produce fewer than 350 cases of wine for the entire world. But looking at the vineyard map, you realize why this wine is so special. The "Le Vignon" cuvée is sourced from three holy sites: Les Plantiers, Les Greffieux, and the legendary Les Bessards—the granite backbone of the hill that fuels Chapoutier’s "Le Pavillon" and Chave’s best blends.
The 2019 vintage is a masterpiece here. It was a solar, powerful year that gave the wine immense density, but because the Sorrel brothers are staunch traditionalists (plowing by horse, aging in old oak, no filtration), the wine retains a rustic, soulful character that modern commercial Hermitage has lost.
