I cannot remember a time when I was not interested in food
and wine. This love for the good things in life was instilled in me by my
single parent mother as she struggled to bring up three children in a series of
rented rooms, then a council flat, in what was then a shabby part of London. Acton
is not so shabby now though! A particular fan of Robert Carrier, my mother was
a keen cook, and used to hoard the luncheon vouchers from one of her several jobs
until she had saved enough to take us to ‘posh’ restaurants, usually ‘up town’
in Knightsbridge or Kensington. Our meals were always accompanied by wine. This
was the late 1960s remember, and the national minimum drinking age limit was
yet to be introduced, so we satisfied ourselves with a bottle of Chianti in a
straw-wrapped flask, Mateus Rosé, or Blue Nun. Oh, how times change!
More than fifty years on, little did I realise the extent to
which my life would be dominated by food and wine.
Fast forward to my early thirties, and finding myself half-way
across the world, homeless and with no income, I decided to cook for a living;
with no experience or qualifications. Despite later reaching the exalted
heights of Chef to the British Ambassador to the UN in New York, at first I
found myself living in a bedsit in Chicago and, in order to satisfy my
expensive tastes, volunteered to work for free at The Chicago Wine School, run
by wine author Patrick Fegan, in exchange for attending his wine tastings,
which I could ill afford.
Thus began my professional wine journey.
So many wines, and so many tastings, at so many vineyards,
in so many places.
There are however memorable moments that I can recall so
readily; the time, the place, the company, the food, the wine. Sensory
experiences can do that to you.
One such moment occurred in 2008 when, as a WSET tutor, on a
vineyard tour of the Southern Rhône, I visited Domaine de la Solitude in
Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
At the time of jotting down my notes for the trip I obviously
had a giddy moment as I wrote ‘Florent Lançon, our winemaker and host, is young
and handsome, with Italianate looks, and despite the grubby effort at a beard –
he could be the man of my dreams. As passionate about food as wine, you should
hear him speak. I am embarrassed to admit it makes my heart sing – how pathetic
is that?!’
Thirteen years on, of all of those vineyards that I visited
on that trip, it is this one that sticks in my mind; and not just because of
its winemaker.
The property has one of the longest histories in the Rhône
Valley and has been in the same family’s hands for 400 years, since Florent’s
ancestors came over with the Pope from their native Italy. They are direct
descendants of the Barbarini family, whose motto is ‘All that the Barbarians
haven’t done, the Barbarini's will do’. This is not a family to be messed with,
which is evidenced by the many antiques that were plundered locally.
It was one of Florent’s descendants in the 18th
century, Paul Martin, who was the first to sell
his wine in bottles and began exporting to England under the
name “Vin de La Solitude”, at a time when the concept of wine from
Châteauneuf-du-Pape did not yet exist.
Florent is the eighth generation of his family to continue
the work begun three centuries earlier and since taking over the helm in 2008, he
has created “Maison Famille Lançon” under which “Domaine de la Solitude”, and a
selection of other Rhône Valley wines, are produced, following organic farming
principles.
It is the passion with which he continues to pursue his
dream of producing great wines, with respect for tradition, that is so
inspiring; preserving and improving what nature has to offer and acknowledging
that every living thing has a role to play: the wildlife and natural
vegetation, the vines, and the people.
Domaine de la Solitude owns 37 ha. of vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape,
all located in the La Solitude lieu-dit (where the estate gets its name from),
next to La Crau. Of the total, 30 ha. are devoted to the production of red wine,
the remainder used for growing grapes for their white Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The estate produces 5 red Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines and 2 white. Production of
each wine is limited, often to 250 cases, hence it is much in demand.
The ‘soil’ in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is comprised of galets
roulés (pebbles), one of which I confess to having stolen, carrying it back
on the plane in my luggage. I still have it.
The grape varieties grown are the thirteen permitted
varieties traditionally associated with the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, of
which the principal varietals grown here for the red wines are Grenache, Syrah,
and Mourvèdre, and for the white wines they are Clairette, la Roussanne, and
Grenache blanc.
During our visit Florent entertained us in style. He was clearly
very excited by their new label for the 100% Grenache ‘Cornelia Constanza’, his
very first wine since graduating from college, aged in oak barrels from the
Caucasus mountains.
For me though, the highlight of the visit was the enduring image
of the pre-phylloxera Grenache vines, well over 100 years old, and being given
the opportunity to taste the wines produced from them. The family own just 1ha.
of these precious vines, which were discovered when Florent was digging up old
vines planted in a sandy area close to the house.
What makes this tiny parcel of vines so special is that in
Europe there are very few vineyards that escaped infestation by this malevolent
plant louse. Putting nostalgia to one side, it is generally accepted that, all
else being equal, old vines seem to give more concentration and fruity complexity
to wines when compared with vines still in their infancy. Older vines, by
virtue of the mere fact that they have survived, means that they are fighters, tough
old bruisers. The gnarled woody mass evident in their structure gives the vine
additional reserves of energy, and their deeper root structure enables them to
cope better in dry conditions.
On the downside, yields are of course lower, but as
consumers we have the joy of knowing that when volume is not the key focus for
a winemaker our taste buds will profit from the commitment to quality that
shines through.
Whilst Domaine de la Solitude does offer other wines from
‘old vines’ (those more than 25 years old), my focus has been on those made
exclusively from grapes hand-harvested from these venerable pre-phylloxera
vines, the wines from which are highly rated, with prices to match.
Remember, you get what you pay for, and you only live once!
Look out for their current vintages of Domaine de la
Solitude Cuvée Cornelia Constanza, A.O.C. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2017 and 2018. A
large proportion of the wine is aged in vats and the rest in 600-litre oak barrels.
Unfined and unfiltered, expect to find rounded, complex wines that will benefit
from some ageing to fully integrate the characteristics bestowed by their oak
ageing. Hints of cocoa are joined by a smoky Sichuan pepperiness and aromatic
cardamom, which on the palate explodes with concentrated ripe, juicy, red currant
and berry fruit flavours.
Of course, as a wine lover, self-confessed foodie and
self-taught chef, for me the two are inseparable. After my visit to Domaine de
la Solitude we lunched at a nearby restaurant, Le Verger des Papes, a hidden
jewel, next to the castle walls, with stunning views, and still recommended by
Michelin. The simple menu is limited, and rightly so, to enable the quality of
the food on offer, a perfect match for the local wines, to really shine
through.
Domaine de la Solitude’s website states ‘From generation to
generation, the estate has been handed down in a spirit of love and sharing’. I’ll certainly drink to that!
Florent Lançon,
Domaine de la Solitude,
Route de Bédarrides,
84230 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France
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