Domaine les Aurelles : Solen 2017

Tasting Notes and Serving Suggestions for Solen 2017 from Domaine les Aurelles

Tasting

Color

The color reveals a deep red with intense purple highlights.

Nose

The nose unveils a complex, Mediterranean aromatic palette, expressing aromas of ripe red fruits, characteristic garrigue, gentle spices, and a distinct minerality. Notes of black fruits such as blackberry and blueberry gradually emerge, accompanied by more pronounced spicy nuances with aeration.

Palate

On the palate, the wine offers a remarkable balance between fruit intensity and freshness. The attack is dynamic and precise, showcasing exceptional vinous character. The tannic structure charms with its finesse and elegance, with supple, silky-textured tannins that caress the palate. The finish lingers at length, marked by delicate minerality and persistent fruit notes.

Food and Wine Pairing

This red wine pairs perfectly with game in all its forms, a roasted or grilled cut of beef, as well as a country terrine. It also makes a wonderful match for grilled red meats.

A Languedoc-Pézenas wine combining mineral freshness and tannic elegance

The estate

Founded in 1995 by Basile and Caroline Saint-Germain, the Domaine les Aurelles spans nine hectares in Nizas, between Montpellier and Béziers in the Languedoc. A pioneer of the Languedoc winegrowing revival, the estate was acquired in late December 2022 by Matthieu Gufflet, a Bordeaux-based entrepreneur and owner of several wine estates. Since 2024, Sandrine Garbay, former cellar master at Yquem for twenty-seven years, has served as Managing Director. Awarded three stars in the Guide Vert of La Revue du Vin de France and four stars by Bettane & Desseauve, the estate embodies the excellence of the Languedoc through environmentally respectful viticulture and age-worthy wines of remarkable finesse.

The vineyard

The Domaine les Aurelles vineyard benefits from an exceptional terroir located on the Villafranchian ridges of the Nizas plateau. The vines are rooted in ancient Quaternary terraces covered with thick layers of rounded pebbles and benefit from basalt scree originating from ancient volcanic flows. This unique, mineral-rich geological composition gives the wines a distinctive minerality. Located about thirty kilometers from the Mediterranean and close to the Massif Central, the estate enjoys a Mediterranean climate tempered by beneficial freshness. Managed according to biodynamic principles since 2018, the vineyard completely forbids fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, with yields deliberately kept at around twenty hectoliters per hectare. The hand harvest is subject to rigorous selection, with each bunch inspected twice to ensure optimal health quality. This wine comes from the Languedoc-Pézenas appellation.

The vintage

The 2017 vintage in Languedoc was marked by contrasts, with a historic frost episode but very high quality in the spared terroirs. The region produced wines characterized by pronounced freshness, moderate alcohol levels, fine tannins, and bright aromatics. Favorable conditions enabled the best plots to preserve their natural balance.

Winemaking and aging

The winemaking of Solen 2017 reflects the estate’s minimalist approach. The grapes, fully destemmed, ferment in enamel-lined tanks for two to three weeks at controlled temperature. The wine then undergoes extended aging of forty-four months in enamel-lined tanks, preserving the grape’s innate purity and allowing maximum expression of the terroir without any woody influence. This exceptionally long aging period demonstrates the estate’s commitment to letting the wine fully develop in a stable environment.

Grape varieties

Carignan (60%)
Grenache noir (40%)