Besides good wine, I love a good story. That being said, little is known about this property’s early history. The earliest reference is that the main building, the hermitage, was originally a hunting lodge used by Montesquieu (1689 – 1755), the famous French philosopher. In 1820, the property known then as The Hermitage became a convent and religious community, the Holy Family in La Solitude, a monastic order devoted to hard work in the vineyards, and whose goal is to pray in the silence of solitude. By 1970, the sisters decided that the value of their vineyards was not very compatible with their contemplative life and decided to give the management of the estate to external stakeholders who could take the wines to the next step. This decision was instrumental in changing these unknown vineyards into world-class wine producers.

In French, the word domaine, when used in connection with a wine property, means a parcel of land under the control of a winemaker. 1993, Olivier Bernard, the owner of Domaine de Chevalier, agreed to manage the Domaine de la Solitude from the monastery for a term of at least 40 years in a leasing agreement. Olivier and his team do all the farming and winemaking themselves. The estate is a magical place, surrounded by woodlands that protect the vineyard from moisture and wind and provide a diverse ecosystem that helps pollinators and beneficial insects thrive. The 80-acre vineyard of Domaine de la Solitude has 62 acres of vines reserved for red wine grapes, which are planted to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. 

Domaine de la Solitude wines are vinified in traditional cement vats. After the wine have settled, malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels. The wine is aged in 25% new French oak barrels for an average of 14 months on its lees with stirring before bottling. The wines of Domaine de la Solitude are produced by the same team that makes the wine of Domaine de Chevalier. The average annual production of Domaine de la Solitude is 12,000 cases of wine per year. Following the example of Chevalier, Domaine de la Solitude produces grapes rich in colors and flavors vintage after vintage. The Bernard family has succeeded in revealing the qualities of this great terroir, making now some of the best value in the whole Pessac Leognan appellation.

About the 2019 vintage:

The 2019 vintage for Pessac-Léognan, the vintage was generally extremely good. ~ Wine Searcher

2019 Pessac Leognan red wines are strong. They are elegant, complex, vibrant, silky, and refined. Most of the wines, even at the top end, will be accessible in their youth, yet at their best, they have what it takes to age and evolve for decades. ~ The Wine Cellar Insider

Reports and data suggest that Bordeaux 2019 could be one of the truly great vintages. Master of Wine Thomas Parker writes of the tasting that, along with 2016, 2019 “may be the best vintage of the modern era.” Jancis Robinson concurs with this sentiment, revealing that the 2019s are “perhaps the best [she] has ever tasted at this stage.”

This vintage is characterized in particular by its aromatic intensity, excellent fruit maturity, density and freshness.

Very attractive, generously fruity bouquet. Cherry, blackcurrant, blueberry. Rich, suave and harmonious palate. The suppleness of the tannins coated with an elegant fruity flesh gives a unique and gourmet charm to this wine. Immediate pleasure, with nevertheless a good aging potential.

The 2019 Domaine de la Solitude is a powerful, brooding wine. black cherry, lavender, dark spice, menthol, licorice and plum bring out some shades of expression in the decidedly virile Pessac-Leognan. The potent Tannins will require cellaring to soften but there is so much to look forward to here. Vinous 96 pts

The 2019 Domaine De La Solitude (Pessac-Léognan) reveals a ruby/plum color as well as textbook Graves notes of red and black cherries, damp earth, chocolate, and smoked tobacco. It’s rich, medium to full-bodied, has ripe, supple, yet building tannins, and a great finish. It’s beautifully done, and while I’d happily drink a bottle today, it will keep for upwards of two decades. Jeb Dunnuck 93 pts

The 79-acre estate is owned by the religious order of the Holy Family, managed by the team of Domaine de Chevalier. This wine is balanced, ripe with generous tannins and dark-berry fruits. Black cherries and acidity complete this attractive wine. Drink from 2025. Wine Enthusiasts 92 pts

The smoke, herbs, tobacco leaf, spice and red fruits come through on the nose and palate with little effort. The wine is soft, medium-bodied, elegant, and fresh with lift and energy in the red plum and cherry packed finish. There is good energy and ample fruits in the endnote. Give it a year or two in the cellar and it will be even more complex. Drink from 2023-2032. The Wine Cellar Insider 91 pts

Shows good juicy energy, with black licorice, tar and bramble accents underscoring a core of steeped plum and warmed cassis. Features a subtle sanguine thread that weaves in on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2027. Wine Spectator 90 pts

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the nose of the 2019 Rouge is loaded with spicy notions of cloves, fenugreek and allspice with a core of baked plums, Morello cherries and blackberry compote plus a touch of cedar chest. The medium-bodied palate is soft and juicy, delivering loads of uncomplicated black fruit and a spicy finish. The Wine Advocate 90 pts

 Domaine de la Solitude Pessac Leognan Bordeaux 2019

This wine attracted quite the crowd wanting to taste this Bordeaux. Wine floor staff, Web Team, management, distributor sales reps, and even our IT guy snuck in. I am happy to say that Domaine de la Solitude did not disappoint. The wine poured a dark opaque garnet color. Our first impression of the aroma was a roasted red pepper and plum with hints of spearmint. On the palate, there was good weight with plum, Kirsch, Bay leaf, saddle Leather, and baking spices—a really long tart cherry finish. Tannins were prominent but not aggressive. I went back and tried the wine again after it was open for a couple of hours, and the nose had opened up to savory cedar notes with more complexity on the middle palate. The overwhelming consensus was that this wine was amazing and worth much more than the $35 regular price and a steal at the $23 sale price. But then, our job is to find you great wine at unheard-of prices. Quantities are limited because we are making room for the 2020 Bordeaux flow inventory.

Regular Price: $34.99

*Sale Price is on 6 or more bottles

Wine is packed in a 6-bottle case

*Wine pricing for these wine promotions are held for two weeks after the email offer.

We can hold wines in unpaid reserves for two weeks to allow you time to pick up your wine. If it takes you longer than that to pick up your wines, give us a call, and we can process your wine and move it to paid reserves.

Orders must be done by replying to this email. The reason is that I need to keep control of the inventory in one central spot. Emailing or calling your favorite wine geek at one of our four stores may not get your orders in on time to be counted or processed and this creates a helter-skelter for us to get you the wine. For the same reason, ordering on our online Web Store is linked to our regular price, and this sale price is only offered on the email platform. It is also why it takes me some time to respond due to the deluge of orders that I sometimes get. We haven't reached the efficiency or volume of Amazon yet. Thank you in advance for your patience.

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