Domaine de la Solitude 2010 Chateauneuf-du-Pape: Plummy elegance and power

Not to be drunk in solitude

"...mainly a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and a light note of Cinsault. These wines are full bodied, rich textured and soft at the same time able to change according to the vintage from sweet black fruits, red fruits, exotic fruits, kirsch, ripe plum mixed with spice notes, leather and smoked: a rich style with mouth finals long and heady."

So says the website for this smooth, elegant CNP.

I'm not sure I can pick all of that up from the bottle I am trying, particularly given the cold I picked up in China (some of their wines are fantastic) last week.

But for those readers who like a smoother, silkier CNP, as opposed to some of the more rustic Côtes du Rhône wines out there, this is a gem. 

Despite the fact that it's 14.5% alcohol, you really wouldn't know from tasting it, particularly once it has been open for 24 hours. 

I am finding less and less point in drinking wines within 24 hours these days. Much better, I find, to open a bottle, taste a glass, write a few notes, then let it breathe for 24 or 48 hours, and then drink the wine with food. 

This Domaine de la Solitude 2010 Chateauneuf-du-Pape is for you if like a big, smooth, powerful, plummy French red. My bottle was a gift, but wine-searcher.com has it for around £20 or a bit less. Worth a try.

I'm really going to miss the 2010 Rhone wines when they are gone. I'm already finding my favourite UK retailers are stocking 2011 Rhone wines now over 2010. 2011 was not as good a year as far as I can tell. Stock up on 2010's while you can, I wish I had.

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1999

A friend and I splashed out and shared a bottle of this recently over a fine piece of venison. Life, it ain't so bad sometimes. It's not cheap, but it is wonderful.

The Wine Cellar Insider says:

"Blackberry liqueur, minerals, blueberries, fresh herbs, pepper and smoke with a hint of coffee. This intense, full bodied, voluptuous wine is rich, thick, intense and mouth coating".

But back in 2005 it was clearly awful:

"Huge, packed and stacked but perfectly balanced. Black and red fruit, earth, gunpowder and herbs scream from the glass. Layers of fruit take over your palate. The long red fruit filled finsh is a pleasure."

Norwegian artist references aside, apparently it has either 91 or 94 Robert Parker points, which is good enough for me.

I'd still go with the 2005 description above, but what do I know? I can never taste all the things reviewers can. But it is bloody lovely, complex, bold and spicy, with that finish that keeps going. What more can one ask for?

Wine Searcher says it's around £50 a bottle, but then Fine and Rare have it for 'just' £38.