1999 Domaine Marc Sorrel Hermitage Blanc

The 1999 Hermitage blanc (most of which comes from Les Greffieux vineyard) possesses superb concentration, long, honeysuckle-like flavors, plenty of opulence, a boatload of glycerin, and a chewy, luscious, honeyed white fruit/floral-flavored palate. One of the finest regular cuvees of white Hermitage Sorrel has produced, its forwardness suggests it should be drunk over the next decade. This is a serious white Hermitage that will be enjoyed by the handful of enthusiasts who appreciate these underrated dry offerings. (Thomas Jefferson thought it was France's single greatest dry white wine.) 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