We all know about Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s inexorable links to Papal history, but for Domaine de la Solitude owners Jean and Michel Lancon it’s a particularly tight connection. The Lancon family are descendants of the Barberinis, a wealthy family of Florentine merchants. In 1623, Maffeo Barberini (above, in a Bernini portrait) was elected Pope as Urbano VIII in Rome. A notorious nepotist, Barberini elevated several family members to the cardinalate who later settled in Avignon. Hélène Barberin (by that time the family name had been made to sound more French) married a vineyard owner, Claude Martin, whose grandson’s wife, Françoise Deloume, brought the Solitude estate as her dowry. Deloume’s great-great-grandson Albert Jacob resurrected the property: his daughter Paule married Pierre Lancon, whose two sons now find themselves at the helm of one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s oldest and most prestigious estates.

Complex family histories aside, the Lancon brothers (above) have done a fine job in adapting the illustrious Domaine de la Solitude to the demands of twenty-first century wine consumption. In the last ten years yields have been lowered through bud pruning and green harvesting, yet the estate still boasts 100 acres of vines. The property is also blessed with an optimum terroir dominated by round, quartzite stones that absorb heat during the day then radiate it at night, ensuring grapes are fully ripened.

Cuvée Barberini is a blend of 60% Grenache, plus 20% Syrah and 20% Mourvèdre, each sourced from the estate’s best parcels. The three varieties are vinified and aged separately in small oak barrels for 24 months, after which the wine is blended in accordance with an expert testing panel, before spending a further six months in bottle before release. This 1999 vintage has spent some time lurking in our cellar. Revealing subtle spice aromas and flavors of cherry and blackcurrant, it retains all the typicity of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The wine offers exceptional value, especially given that the Lancon brothers project a long life for it through 2020. But why wait? Cuvée Barberini 1999 is already drinking marvelously: make room for it this year on your holiday table!

Domaine de la Solitude Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Barberini 1999 (Rhône Valley, France)
$80

For more information please call 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.

When we hear “Beaujolais” we’re quick to think of the basic “Nouveau” that flies off supermarket shelves and lands on bistro tables everywhere. But the success of this delightful yet uncomplicated wine has the tendency to obscure the fact that Cru Beaujolais, on the other hand, is a wine worthy of greater attention and praise. Indeed, the best Beaujolais can last for years, even taking on a Burgundian quality over time. With that in mind, we’ve picked out two of our favorite examples of approachable and age-worthy Beaujolais.

Jean-Paul Brun Terres Dorées “L’Ancien” Beaujolais 2010 (Beaujolais, France)
$19
In the very south of the Beaujolais zone, just north of Lyon, winemaker Jean-Paul Brun (below) has gained notoriety for his non-conformist production methods: in 2007 two-thirds of his “Vieilles Vignes” was rejected by the appellation for being “atypical”. Although his old vine Beaujolais doesn’t come from one of the area’s respected Cru sites, it shows an exceptional balance of ripe berry fruit and soft structure. Brun believes the Gamay grape expresses itself best when ripened naturally and treated with respect. Unlike many of his non-Cru producers of Beaujolais, Brun uses “Old Style” methods of winemaking to produce an honest representation of the wine without artificially inflating its fruit character. He vinifies in the classic method, using only indigenous yeast while minimising chaptalization and the use of sulfer. The wine is vinified in the traditional Burgundian method, forgoing extensive carbonic maceration and is barely filtered.

Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côtes du Py Vieilles Vignes 2010 (Beaujolais, France)
$21
The latest in a long line of winemakers, Jean-Marc Burgaud (top) took over the family enterprise in 1989 after obtaining his diploma in oenology and viticulture. His eponymous winery is located in the village of Morgon, also a subzone in the heart of Beaujolais reknowned for producing deep, earthy wines. The finest examples of these bear the name “Côte du Py”, a reference to a prestigious vineyard site on the side of Mount Py. Burgaud’s Côte du Py Morgon is made from Gamay noir à jus blanc (to give the variety its full name) grown on fifty-year-old vines. He calls it his most typical wine, and one that achieves its unique character thanks to the rich soil of the Cru, which is made up of blue stones created by the disintegration of schist. A two-week maceration period results in a powerful wine with a ripe stone-fruit and cherry nose. Full-bodied and tannic with undoubted aging potential, the wine will drink well right now but also reward patience.

For more information please call 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.