Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Cuvée Barberini” 2020 – Domaine de la Solitude

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Barberini Domaine de la Solitude is made from a select parcel of old Grenache vines and is only produced inthe best vintages. The grapes to produce Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Barberini Domaine de la Solitude  were manually sorted on a sorting table, before being crushed and destemmed. The fruit was transferred to the fermentation tank via gravity. A long maceration took place with gentle extraction techniques, to obtain opulent fruit characteristics and fine tannins. Approximately 60% of this wine was aged in oak barrels and demi-muids for 18 months.The Grenache comes from best parcels of old vines. This Domaine has one of the best terroirs in Châteauneuf-du-Pape with its abundance of rounded quartzite stones, known as “Galet Roulés” terroir, which comes from the Villafranchian period. These stones absorb heat during the day then radiate it at night, promoting full grape maturity. The grapes are manually harvested, once each variety has reached phenological ripeness, based on grape tastings by an expert panel. The grape bunches are then meticulously sorted to remove any unwanted fruit.Domaine de la Solitude 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 fore fathers of the Lançon family. Today, the domain with its 38 hectares in the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation, is passing to the next generation as brothers Jean and Michel Lançon are handing over the reins to Florent, Michel’s son. 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 Solitutude’s wines are renowned for their characteristic elegance whilst expressing the true origins of their terroir.