Winemaker Notes
"A nose of a bouquet of garrigue and red fruits. Roundness on the palate, balanced with a nice sweetness, with aromas of cocoa and morello cherry, with a long and suave licorice finish. Blend: 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre"
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Delicate whiffs of singed anise and peppercorns accent bright red-plum and black-cherry flavors in this easy-drinking but refined red. A freshly concentrated blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, it's a juicy wine edged by fine-grained, pleasantly charry tannins and a lingering kiss of bramble and black currant. Best Buys
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Domaine de la Solitude Côtes du Rhone is bright and fresh, with a pleasing softness on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows flavors of boysenberries and earth. Serve it with cheese, pâté, and freshly-baked bread. (Tasted: February 27, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Typically thought of as a baby Chateâuneuf-du-Pape, the term Côtes du Rhône actually doesn’t merely apply to the flatter outskirts of the major southern Rhône appellations, it also includes the fringes of well-respected northern Rhône appellations. White wines can be produced under the appellation name, but very little is actually made.
The region offers some of the best values in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds. Red wine varieties include most of the Chateâuneuf-du-Pape varieties like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise, as well as Carignan. White grapes grown include Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Viognier, among others.