DOMAINE DE LA SOLITUDE
The Cellar

CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE ROUGE 1999
CUVEE BARBERINI

Silver Medal by the Tasting Panel at International Wine Challenge, 2002
    

CLASSIFICATION
Red wine - AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape

PRODUCTION AREA
Vines grown at our Domaine de la Solitude vineyards at Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The 1999 vintage was characterised by a good maturity and strong structure, characteristcs which will permit the wines produced to be enjoyed in their youth but also provide an excellent aptitude to age. Grapes for the Cuvée Barberini come from a selection of the best parcels of our Domaine.

AVERAGE YIELD
30 hectolitres per hectare

SOIL COMPOSITION
Rounded quartzite stones from the Villafranchian period conferring on this domaine one of the best terroirs of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. They absorb heat during the day then radiate it at night, ensuring full grape maturity is reached.


GRAPE VARIETIES
60% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre

CLIMATE
Mediterranean, with mild winters, low rainfall and hot summers. Dominant winds : Mistral.

HARVEST
By hand, at the appropriate time for each grape variety to be at full maturity, based on grape tastings by our expert panel. The grape bunches are then carefully sorted to remove any unwanted fruit.

VINIFICATION
After careful crushing and destemming, the must passes to our vats for maceration and fermentation. These processes take about one month at carefully controlled temperatures with both daily pumping over and hand plunging of the cap. The resultant product is then pressed, and the free-run juice is separated from the press juice in order to be aged separately. Malolactic fermentation follows shortly after and occurs in the ageing barrels.

AGEING
Each parcel and grape variety is aged separately in small oak barrels for 24 months. The wine is then assembled carefully following the expert guidance of our testing panel, and then stabilised in bottles for 6 months before commercialisation.

TASTING NOTES
This wine retains all the typicity of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Appellation, revealing a fine nose and subtle flavours of oak on the mouth. The colour is deep and intense, almost opaque. Aromas of fruits (blackcurrant and blackberry) and spices. On the mouth, this wine is rich, powerful and generous. It is a wine capable to be cellared for a very long time, or equally enjoyed in its youth.
SUGGESTED FOOD ASSOCIATIONS
Filet of duck in sauce, pigeon in cherries, venison in redcurrant sauce, fillet of hare in chocolat dragées with petit onions, and all red meats in sweet and sour sauces.

WINEMAKERS COMMENTS
Drink now through 2020. Service temperature: 16 to 18°C

AVAILABILITY
In bottles of 75 cl. Packed in cases of 6 bottles or alternatively cartons of 12 bottles
    

EARL DOMAINES PIERRE LANÇON
Domaine de la Solitude - BP 21
84231 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cedex - France
Tél. 04 90 83 71 45
Télécopie 04 90 83 51 34
e-mail: solitude@mnet.fr