Domaine de la Solitude

A historically important Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate, Domaine de la Solitude was one of the first to attach paper labels to their bottles, and was an early exporter with records dating shipments back to 1826. Today it’s run by Florent Lançon, a conservationist at heart, who converted the 37ha estate to organics and has undertaken various other sustainable projects, such as agroforestry. It’s an estate that is quickly moving up through the ranks, particularly since creating (or more accurately recreating) it’s Vin de la Solitude cuvée. It follows an old recipe and contains 20% Counoise, showing the potential for what some consider, mistakenly, to be ‘minor’ varieties. Whites here are among the best in the Southern Rhône.