The Lancon family has been making wine at Domaine de la Solitude for over 500 years. Pope Urbain VIII was a member of the family. In addition, two bishop were also Lancons, thus the three hats on the Chateauneuf du Pape label. Between the "de" and "la" is a medal, the Legion d'Honneur (the French medal of merit) handed out by Napoleon himself to Jean's great, great, great grand father at the battle of Waterloo.
The three bees are the family armory from the middle ages. Jean's grandfather was the general in charge of the French part of Berlin right after WW II. Domaine de la Solitude is one of the oldest family owned and operated estate in the world. It was established around 1450 by the Barberini family who came from Italy with the popes and they later on became the Lancon family.
Chateauneuf du Pape
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 - for the wine to be aged in barrels, this fermentation will occur in those barrels.
Each parcel and grape variety is aged separately either in small concrete, stainless steel or resin vats, with 10% aged in oak barrels (1/3 new, 2/3 of 1 wine). After 18 months aging, the wine is blended.
Grapes: 55% Grenache Noir; 25% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre; 5% Cinsault.
LCBO # 0984419 $36.95
