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 domain has one of the best terroirs in Châteauneuf-du-Pape with its abundance of rounded quartzite stones from the Villafranchian period. These stones absorb heat during the day then radiate it at night, promoting full grape maturity. Yielding just 30 hectolitres per hectare, the vines are carefully managed throughout the year. The grapes are hand-harvested, once each variety has reached full maturity, which is based on tastings undertaken by an expert panel. The vineyard is farmed sustainably; the domain promotes and develops biodiversity in the vineyard by maintaining a flourishing wine-growing ecosystem and is certified by Terra Vitis.

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 for approximately 30 days, 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. Approximately 10% of the wine was aged in barrels, demi-muids and foudres for 15 months, imparting subtle complexity, while 90% was matured in concrete vats to retain pure fruit. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration, just natural settling.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
A rich and opulent wine with ripe blackcurrant aromas layered with notes of the garrigue and cistus flowers. Full bodied but with a soft texture and characteristic elegance, the ripe fruits combine with notes of cocoa, cherry and a hint of liquorice on the finish.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Grenache Noir 65%, Syrah 20%, Cinsault 5%, Counoise 5%, Mourvèdre 5%.