2022 Clos Solene Syrah Fleur De Solene
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Tasting notes
Based on 52% Syrah, 23% Grenache, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc, aged 16 months in 35% new French oak (the rest once- and second-used oak), the 2022 Fleur de Solene reminds me of a young Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Darker, peppery red and black fruits, smoked meats, and underbrush emerge on the nose, with medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful concentration and texture, ripe yet savory tannins, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and shine over the following decade. Drink 2027-2037. One of the top talents in Paso Robles, Guillaume Fabre worked at L’Aventure before launching Clos Solène in 2007. About seven years ago, he and his wife Solène bought a thirty-acre limestone site on Willow Creek Road at roughly 1,300 feet; it is farmed organically, and a new cave system under the property is nearly finished. Estate fruit now anchors the lineup, but it is supplemented by parcels from James Berry, G2, Hoyt, and Bien Nacido in Santa Maria Valley. The wines span the Roussanne-based Hommage Blanc, Grenache-led El Toro and Harmonie, Syrah-focused Hommage à Nos Pairs and Bien Nacido Cuvée Jean, the Cabernet-driven L’Insolent, the mixed variety Fleur de Solène, and the barrel selection Mon Millésime. Reds generally age 16-22 months in varying levels of new French oak. These are classic, impeccably made wines, rich yet structured, with seamless textures and beautiful overall balance, and Clos Solène is becoming a reference point for age-worthy wines from the region.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Medium purple in colour. Deep blackberry fruit with a hint of leafy freshness and vibrant floral notes. Really tense acidity and fine-grained, lightly bitter tannin. More savoury than sweet with a titch of bitterness. Quite earthy. Very tight – needs time. (SCJ)
A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Fleur de Solène leads with a fresh nose of well-delineated dark fruits accented by floral, herbal touches. The palate is weighty and full-bodied but wonderfully precise and focused, leading to a sturdy, rocky and structured finish. An excellent combination of alluring, authentic and pleasurable, this has great potential, and I suspect it will perform well for more than a decade.
The 2022 Fleur de Solène is dark and moody in the glass, wafting up with a nuanced blend of dried violets, lavender, stone dust and black currants. It splashes across the palate with lifted textures, displaying more finesse and grace than expected. It maintains a lovely balance as masses of wild berry fruit saturate under an air of baking spice and cocoa. Darkly floral and perfumed, the 2022 finishes with admirable length and concentration, leaving black-tea-like tannins to mingle with hints of licorice. The Fleur de Solène is a blend of 52% Syrah, 23% Grenache, 12% Cabernet Franc and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon. Despite the warmth of the vintage, it’s harmonious from start to finish.