Domaine de la Solitude Chateauneuf du Pape 2022

Nose of garrigue bouquet, cistus flower, blackcurrant buds ; Fresh and balanced mouth, with aromas of cocoa and cherry, with a long finish of licorice.

Blend: 65% Grenache noir, 20% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Counoise

Drink now through 2037.

Wine Spectator: 92
A sweet and ripe version, with a warm stream of crushed cherry and plum on a lush palate. Tobacco leaf brings in a gentle-edged earthiness, and a polish of toasty oak will further integrate with a bit more time in the cellar. Bitter cherry pit brings a fine point to the warm, lush finish, framed by polished tannins. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Counoise. Best from 2026 through 2038. 8,000 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.

Wine Spectator: 92

A sweet and ripe version, with a warm stream of crushed cherry and plum on a lush palate. Tobacco leaf brings in a gentle-edged earthiness, and a polish of toasty oak will further integrate with a bit more time in the cellar. Bitter cherry pit brings a fine point to the warm, lush finish, framed by polished tannins. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Counoise. Best from 2026 through 2038. 8,000 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.

Wine Advocate: 91
Macerated for 30 days, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape from Domaine de la Solitude, a blend of 65% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault and 5% Counoise, offers up aromas of dark cherries, rose, violets, dark wild berries and licorice. Medium-bodied, round and enveloping, it's perfectly juicy with a sappy mid-palate, concluding with a fresh, penetrating finish. This is a classic, elegant Châteauneuf-du-Pape, partly destemmed and matured for 15 months in concrete tanks (90%) and the rest in new barrels.

Wine Advocate: 91

Macerated for 30 days, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape from Domaine de la Solitude, a blend of 65% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault and 5% Counoise, offers up aromas of dark cherries, rose, violets, dark wild berries and licorice. Medium-bodied, round and enveloping, it's perfectly juicy with a sappy mid-palate, concluding with a fresh, penetrating finish. This is a classic, elegant Châteauneuf-du-Pape, partly destemmed and matured for 15 months in concrete tanks (90%) and the rest in new barrels.

Vinous: 93
Vinified from certified organic grapes and checking in at 15.5% alcohol, the 2022 Chateauneuf-du-Pape is gorgeous. Licorice, strawberry jam, raspberry, red cherry and meaty components are all nicely delineated. Touching the palate with loads of concentration and a juicy fruit core, the 2022 possesses a firm tannic structure, so I'd give it at least three more years in bottle. It was aged for 15 months in a combination of concrete tanks (90%) and new oak barriques (10%).

Vinous: 93

Vinified from certified organic grapes and checking in at 15.5% alcohol, the 2022 Chateauneuf-du-Pape is gorgeous. Licorice, strawberry jam, raspberry, red cherry and meaty components are all nicely delineated. Touching the palate with loads of concentration and a juicy fruit core, the 2022 possesses a firm tannic structure, so I'd give it at least three more years in bottle. It was aged for 15 months in a combination of concrete tanks (90%) and new oak barriques (10%).

James Suckling: 94
Very attractive nose of raspberries, licorice and oranges with a touch of summer flowers. Round and silky on the full-bodied palate, the ample tannins are beautifully integrated, making the long, refined finish velvety. A cuvee of 65% greanche, 20% syrah, and 5% each of mourvedre, counoise and cinsault from biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Jeb Dunnuck: 94
The deeper ruby-hued 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape is based on 65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and the rest equal parts Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Counoise that was raised in concrete tank (90%) and new oak (10%). Wild strawberries, raspberries, spring flowers, and a kiss of black pepper define the aromatics, and this beauty hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a pure, layered mouthfeel, and integrated tannins. Its balance as well as its purity are spot on, and savvy readers should snatch this up. It's not going to make terribly old bones (and I don't suspect many 2022s will), but it's a gorgeous effort to enjoy over the coming 10-12 years.

Jeb Dunnuck: 94

The deeper ruby-hued 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape is based on 65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and the rest equal parts Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Counoise that was raised in concrete tank (90%) and new oak (10%). Wild strawberries, raspberries, spring flowers, and a kiss of black pepper define the aromatics, and this beauty hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a pure, layered mouthfeel, and integrated tannins. Its balance as well as its purity are spot on, and savvy readers should snatch this up. It's not going to make terribly old bones (and I don't suspect many 2022s will), but it's a gorgeous effort to enjoy over the coming 10-12 years.