Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Les Vallons de la Solitude, Domaine de la Solitude 2024
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Why this wine
The earlier-drinking of Solitude's two Châteauneuf reds, raised almost entirely in concrete so the fruit stays bright. It gives the herbal, stony character of the appellation without asking for years in the cellar. A good first Châteauneuf, and a useful one to open on a weeknight.
At a glance
- Grape
- Grenache 60%, Syrah 25%, Mourvèdre 15%
- Region
- Rhône Valley, France
- Alcohol
- 15.00%
- Body
- Medium
- Acidity
- Medium
- Tannins
- Medium
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Drink
- Long (10-20 yrs)
- Pairs with
- Red Meat, Poultry & Pork, Cheese
How it tastes
Layers of black-berried fruit and bramble, a touch of the local wild garrigue herbs and gentle spice. Smooth and flavoursome rather than heavy, with velvety tannins, moderate acidity and a long, sumptuous finish. Grenache 60%, Syrah 25%, Mourvèdre 15%.
The producer
Wine has been made on this estate for several hundred years, since the Lançon family arrived from Italy in 1264 to serve the pope in Avignon; the three hats on the label stand for two bishops and a pope among their forebears. The 38-hectare domaine is run today by Florent Lançon, whose vines run from the high terraces of La Crau down into the Solitude valley across sandy safres, clay and pebble, strewn with the rounded quartzite galets roulés that hold the day's heat and release it overnight. The fruit is hand-picked variety by variety at phenological ripeness, sorted, destemmed and moved by gravity into concrete tanks, where it fermented with wild yeasts and macerated gently for velvety tannins; a tenth of the wine then spent 15 months in first-use French oak, the rest staying in concrete to keep the fruit pure.
Food and drinking
Serve at 16-18°C. Good with roast lamb and rosemary, duck breast, pork belly with herbs, or a plate of hard cheeses. Drinking well now and over the next three to five years; give it an hour in a decanter. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.