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:
This Domaine stretches from the high terraces of the ‘La Crau’ and descends into the Solitude Valley. The estate covers a patchwork of soils, from sandy soil known as ‘Safres’, which offer good drainage, to clay and pebble. The vineyard has an abundance of rounded quartzite stones, known as “Galet Roulés”, which derive from the Villafranchian period. These stones absorb heat during the day then radiate it at night, promoting full grape maturity. The climate is characterised by the Provençal sun, with warm, dry summers and the Mistral winds, that bring cleansing breezes through the vineyards. The vines are sustainably cultivated, certified organic and the grapes are manually harvested, once each variety has reached phenological ripeness.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:
Following a selection of the best bunches; the grapes were meticulously sorted, destemmed and gently crushed, before entering concrete fermentation tanks via gravity. The must underwent maceration, during which a gentle extraction took place to obtain velvety tannins. Fermentation took place with wild yeasts and the wine was vinified with minimal intervention. 10% of the wine was aged in French oak barrels of first use for 15 months, imparting subtle complexity. The remaining 90% was matured in concrete tanks, to retain the purity of fruit and the character of the terroir.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
Rich, smooth and flavoursome with complex layers of black-berried fruit, brambly notes, a touch of the local wild garrigue and gentle spice. Elegant yet sumptuous.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Grenache 60%, Syrah 25%, Mourvèdre 15%.

AWARDS:
Top 100, Wine Merchant, 2024