Domaine de la Solitude 2018

Juicy, crisp, fruity, very well-balanced and well made, it will be enjoyable even when young.

Tight, sleek style, with red currant, loganberry and bitter cherry notes streaming through, flecked with savory and red tea hints along the way. Nice flash of iron on the well-focused finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2022 through 2034. 10,000 cases made.

Concentrated dark fruit with notes of liquorice, cedar wood, and vanilla. A touch of spice, finely balanced with wild bilberry, blackcurrant, roast coffee, and cedar. Succulent mouthfeel, integrated acidity and firm tannins on the finish.

Aromas and flavors of blackberries, blackcurrants, stones and bark follow through to a full body with firm, chewy tannins that are nicely polished. Lots of fruity undertones. It’s long and flavorful on the finish. Drink after 2024.

The 2018 Domaine de la Solitude, from the team at Domaine de Chevalier, has a light, loamy bouquet of tobacco and clove that develops with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly angular tannins, though it comes together in the glass, leading to a finish marked by tobacco and a hint of pencil lead. Very classic in style. Drink over the next 4–6 years.

Medium-bodied, fresh, silky, elegant and loaded with sweet, ripe, pure red fruits with a smoky edge, the finish delivers more of those sweet red fruits along with herbs, crushed stone and tobacco leaf. This will drink well shortly after release.

Inky dark core with a garnet rim. Notes of new oak, butterscotch, sweet plum, red berries and cassis. Good density on the palate, youthful texture but with ripe tannin, layers of generous fruit, tobacco leaf and fine length.

Silky, medium-bodied bouquet with blackberries, cherries, herbs, and smoke. Light, fresh palate with a silky structure, delicate fruit, fragrant aromatics, good tannins, and a light, spicy finish. 17/20 2023 - 2036

The bouquet of the 2018 Solitude clearly highlights the floral aspect (iris, peony) it showed from a very young age, along with notes of morello cherry. Freshness is the dominant feature, which is commendable for this vintage. The tannins provide excellent backbone. They are velvety yet grippy, and they promise great ageing potential. A fine success