Domaine de la Solitude Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Secrete 2010 750ml

My favorite vintage of this cuvee to date and a knockout wine that is up there with the best of the vintage, the 2010 Domaine de la Solitude (Lançon Père et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Secrète is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah that has all of the Syrah and a small portion of the Grenache aged in new French oak. Rich, deep, and powerful, with a saturated, inky color, this delivers a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors, with notions of blackberry, chocolate, smoke, pepper, graphite, and pot roast-like nuances all soaring from the glass. Where the Cuvée Cornelia Constanza is all Grenache, all the time, this has a (slightly) more restrained profile, while still playing in that full-bodied, decadent end of the spectrum. Very concentrated, structured, and beautifully balanced, this blockbuster needs 4-5 years of bottle age, and will shine for two decades or more.

• Country: France
• Region: Rhone Valley
• Appellation: Chateauneuf Du Pape
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red

Varietal

Red Rhone Blend

The Rhone region of France has been producing superb quality white blended wines for centuries, and is a region highly respected and esteemed around the world, with plenty of New World countries keen to emulate the styles and techniques displayed by the historic wineries and skilled vintners of the area. The secret to the Rhone’s success when it comes to blended white wines is the careful and expert selection of certain grape varietals, which each lend special features to the blended wine and bring balance and harmony to the bottle. Most commonly, blended white Rhone wines feature no more than two grapes of either the Viognier, Rousanne, Marsanne or Grenache Blanc varietals, and are renowned for their exceptional flavors and highly aromatic, floral character.