We visited Domaine de la Solitude in Châteauneuf-du Pape. Although we had planned a more substantial visit of Domaine de la Solitude, because of the covid situation, the people of Domaine de la Solitude limited the visit to a tasting-only visit in the courtyard of the estate.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
This was the first estate we visited in the world-famous
Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine region over a period of 2 days.
In the 13th century, during their stay
in Avignon, the Popes – especially Pope John XXII- built a papal summer
castle in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. They found out that the area had
exceptional soils, and they established vineyards on the slopes
surrounding the summer palace.
I found a nice article in the Los Angeles
Time: “Popes throughout history have liked their juice, and when the
papal sea moved to Avignon in the 13th century, that juice was
Châteauneuf-du-Pape ("the pope's new castle") made from grapes grown
nearby in the Southern Rhône. The castle is a ruin now, the papal court
long gone back to Rome, but the wines that bear the pope's coat of arms
emblazoned on the bottles are still produced more or less according to
the long-standing recipe. Not every winemaker uses all 13 of the grapes
in the prescribed blend, though.”
The wines grow on a soil that is a
mixture of large quartz stones (galets roulés) and sandy red clay. The
large sun-warmed galets roulés reflect the sunlight and diffuse a
gentle, provençal heat that helps the grapes to mature and their juice
to concentrate.
A very strong southern wind - the Mistral - whips up
through the Rhône valley from the Mediterranean Sea and creates a
welcome cooling effect, since the region can be pretty hot and dry.
With
more than 8,000 acres under vine, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the largest
appellation in the Rhône. It was the first wine region in France to gain
AOC (today AOP) status in 1923.
Domaine de La Solitude Domaine
de La Solitude belongs to one of the most ancient families native to
Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
This classic domaine, owned by the Lançon family,
dates back to 1535.
The first member of the family came from Italy in
1264 to serve the Pope in Avignon. His name was Barberini - the name
today of the special cuvées.
Over the centuries, the Lançons had two Bishops and even one Pope in
their family. The three hats on the label refer to this. The medal on
the label refers to a medal that one family member received from
Napoleon after the battle of Waterloo. The three bees on the label is a
family crest from the Middle Ages.
Today, Florent Lançon is in charge of
the domaine. It is a large, 92 acres, property. The regular cuvée of the
Domaine de La Solitude is a very traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The
Barberini and Réserve Secrète are more modern-style Châteauneuf-du-Pape
wines.
20 acres are planted with white varieties: 30% Roussanne, 50%
Grenache Blanc, 15% Clairette and 5% Bourboulenc. 75 acres are planeted
with red varities: 60% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 5% Cinsault
and 10% other.
11.00 am Departure.
History
Roman era
The site of Domaine Solitude was occupied as far back as the
Gallo-Roman period, as evidenced by the presence of coins from the time.
1264
François Barberini, the first family member to arrive from Italy to the
region, is born. He went on to spend time living in Provence as well as
the region.
1400s
The Domaine Solitude family made Châteauneuf-du-Pape their home
in the 15th century, making them one of the oldest families in the
region.
1604
Jean Barberini changes his name to Barberin in order to sound
more French. Later, his daughter marries vineyard owner Claude Martin
and so the winemaking dynasty begins.
1623-1644
François’ ancestor, Maffeo Barberini, serves as the Pope in
Rome under the name Urban VIII. Other family members go on to become
Cardinals before settling in Avignon.
La Solitude labels today feature three hats, signifying the two bishops and a Pope in the family’s history.
Middle-Ages
Current wine labels exhibit a number of other links to the family’s
history including three bees, a reference to the family in the
Middle-Ages.
1815
Another of the family’s ancestors is awarded a medal by Napoleon after
the Battle of Waterloo, the medal still features on labels today, giving
another nod to the family’s history on current bottles.
1970s
Michel and Jean Lançon begin working at the Domaine under the guidance of their father, Pierre Lançon.
1980s
Following time working under Pierre’s expert instruction, Michel and Jean take over the management of the Domaine.
1999
Jean and Michel begin creating Prestige Cuvee wines to showcase the very best of the vineyards and region.
Today…
Florent Lançon, Michel’s son, now manages the day to day running of
La Solitude. His focus is on a perfect balance of tradition and
continuous improvement, and he is passionate about innovation. His range
of wines includes both traditional styles and more modern
interpretations. Careful attention is paid in the vineyard, where the
harvest is carried out by hand, and only the best grapes are carefully
selected. No fertilisers are used and the vineyards are farmed
sustainably.
Florent also balances tradition and innovation in the winery, where
tulip-shaped concrete tanks are now used alongside more familiar oak and
stainless steel. He believes that using a blend of grapes creates a
longer lived wine and expertly utilises the particular strengths of each
grape variety to create wines with poise and complexity.
Arriving
Vineyards
Owner/ Winemaker Florent Lançon
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