Domaine les Aurelles : Solen 2015

Domaine les Aurelles Solen 2015 Tasting Notes and Recommendations

Tasting

Appearance
The wine displays an intense, bright red color, enhanced by subtle garnet highlights that reflect its evolution.

Nose
The nose reveals a complex, original bouquet combining aromas of candied black fruits and eau-de-vie cherries. Notes of garrigue herbs intertwine with spicy touches of pepper and licorice, lending a distinctly Mediterranean dimension to the aromatic profile.

Palate
On the palate, the wine charms with its harmonious, delicate character. The tannic structure stands out for its finesse and silky texture, offering remarkable elegance. Flavors of black fruit—particularly black cherry and plum—are expressed with concentration, supported by a mineral backbone reflecting the basaltic terroir. The finish is long and persistent, leaving a complex impression where fruit, spice, and minerality come together.

Food and wine pairings

This Solen 2015 is an ideal match for game meats such as venison, as well as beef dishes in sauce or braised preparations. It also pairs perfectly with lamb, notably served with tapenade or simmered in a wine sauce. Its elegant structure and complexity make it an excellent companion for refined, carefully crafted cuisine.

Serving and cellaring

Solen 2015 can be enjoyed now and will continue to evolve favorably for many years to come. Decanting for one hour will allow its aromas to fully unfold. Ideally serve between 16 and 18°C.

A Languedoc-Pézenas wine of refined elegance and remarkable purity

The estate

Founded in 1995 by Basile and Caroline Saint-Germain, the Domaine les Aurelles spans nine hectares in the Languedoc. Basile, drawing on his experience at Château Latour in the Médoc, and Caroline, from the world of Cognac, developed an exacting winegrowing approach favoring long aging in tank without oak. Certified biodynamic since 2018, the estate was acquired in December 2022 by entrepreneur Matthieu Gufflet, notably owner of Château Guiraud in Sauternes, who continues the property’s founding philosophy. The estate is renowned for wines of exceptional purity and outstanding aging potential.

The vineyard

The Domaine les Aurelles vineyard benefits from an exceptional terroir on the Nizas plateau, around thirty kilometers from the Mediterranean, in the heart of the Languedoc-Pézenas appellation. The vines are planted on hillsides made up of sandy, gravelly soils over thick layers of rounded pebbles, enriched with basalt fragments from ancient volcanic flows. This basalt presence gives the wines their distinctive mineral signature. The temperate climate, shaped by maritime proximity and the Montagne Noire relief, brings welcome freshness that preserves the grapes’ natural acidity. Vineyard management follows biodynamic principles, with no use of herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers, and yields deliberately limited to twenty hectoliters per hectare.

The vintage

The 2015 vintage in the Languedoc benefited from favorable weather conditions. After a mild winter, spring allowed for harmonious vegetative growth. Summer was marked by warm temperatures and generous sunshine, punctuated by timely rainfall that prevented water stress while enabling optimal ripening of the grapes. Harvest took place in excellent conditions, with cool mornings preserving the fruit’s aromatic potential. This sunny year gave rise to wines of fine ripeness and natural richness.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Solen 2015 were harvested by hand with rigorous selection, each cluster being inspected twice to ensure impeccable quality. After destemming, fermentation was carried out with indigenous yeasts in enameled tanks. The wine then underwent aging for forty-eight months in enameled tanks, without any oak contact, thus preserving the purity of the fruit and the expression of the terroir. This extended maturation enabled a harmonious integration of the tannins and a complex development of aromas.

Grape varieties

Carignan (60%)
Grenache (40%)