Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Domaine de la Solitude 2009 Chateauneuf-du-Pape


We came across this wine at the Rose & Thistle in downtown Perrysburg. Green Dragon and I stopped in for a glass of wine with our friends Gary and Kelly. I had prepared to opt for wine by the glass – not wanting to get too much – but Green Dragon suggested it was more sensible to get a bottle. So we did.
The wisdom of this approach was quickly affirmed as I noticed a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape on the wine list for $35. This appeared to be a crazy bargain. I quickly fired up my Cor.kz application on my phone and saw that the going price for this wine is $38 to $40 – and that’s before the typical 25% to %50 mark-up you expect at a bar or restaurant. Score! No matter the price – this was the wine for us.
The Domain de la Solitude is 55% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the rest Cinsault and Mourvedre. The wine had just the right approach – not too tannic, but with enough body to please our crowd. It is a graceful wine that is dark ruby red. It is juicy with red fruit and berries. It has quieter melodic strains of herb and earthiness mixed into the composition.
This was a thoroughly rewarding bottle of wine from a powerhouse winemaking region from France. Highly recommended!
Rating: 4.5 of 5   Value: 4 of 5

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