Description

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
Wines have been made on this estate for several hundred years, dating back to 1264 when the family arrived from Italy to serve the pope in Avignon. The three hats depicted on the label, signifies two bishops and a pope, who were among the forefathers of the Lançon family. The 38-hectare domain in the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation is now run by Florent Lançon, who cultivates the estate sustainably, as certified by Terra Vitis. Florent, who is passionate about innovative winemaking, while honouring traditional values, has recently started working with new tulip-shaped concrete vats which were initially designed for Cheval Blanc and are at the cutting edge of winemaking technology. Domaine de la Solitude’s wines are renowned for their characteristic elegance whilst expressing the true origins of their terroir.

THE VINTAGE:
An exceptionally early harvest, low yields and high quality characterise the 2022 vintage. The season started with slightly early bud burst and a rainfall deficit, for which the dry and mild spring and the early, hot and dry summer never compensated. A midAugust storm helped to refresh the vines and the Mistral wind that blew afterwards kept the vines healthy. Harvesting took place at peak ripeness and the 2022 wines show rich colour and wonderful ageing potential.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD:
The Grenache comes from best parcels of old vines planted on the high Quaternary alluvial terraces surrounding the estate. This Domaine has one of the best terroirs in Châteauneuf-du-Pape with its abundance of rounded quartzite stones, known as “Galet Roulés” terroir, which comes from the Villafranchian period. These stones absorb heat during the day then radiate it at night, promoting full grape maturity and imparting great tannic and aromatic power. The grapes are manually harvested, once each variety has reached phenological ripeness, based on grape tastings by an expert panel. The grape bunches are then meticulously sorted to ensure only the best quality fruit was vinified. Certified organic.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:
The grapes were hand-harvested into 25-kg crates to protect the quality of the fruit, followed by a second selection and manually sorting, before being crushed and partially destemmed. The fruit was transferred to the concrete fermentation vats via gravity. A long maceration took place with gentle extraction techniques, to obtain opulent fruit characteristics and fine, velvety tannins. Approximately 65% of this wine was aged in oak barrels and demi-muids for 20 months, with the remainder matured in concrete vats. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
A beautifully textured, ripe and full-bodied wine delivering rich red and black fruits, chocolate and a subtle hint of spice. Supple and elegant with a layered mouthfeel, notes of Morello cherry and a hint of chocolate on the velvety finish.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Grenache 65%, Mourvèdre 20%, Syrah 15%.