2016 Clos Solene, Fleur Solene, Paso Robles 1x75cl

Jeb Dunnuck 96

Tasted out of bottle, the 2016 Fleur de Solene is 43% Syrah, 35% Grenache, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 18 months in 30% new French oak. It s a full-bodied yet light, elegant and complex effort that has lots of sweet black raspberry and cassis fruits, notes of spice, pepper, and game, fine tannins, and a great finish. It s a beautiful wine any way you look at it and should cruise for 10-15 years in cold cellars. The big news at Guillaume Fabre s Clos Solene is the purchase of a new estate, in the heart of the limestone hills on the west side of Paso Robles, that s in the process of being renovated and replanted. The young vines here should go into production in the next couple of years, and now that Fabre has his own vines and estate, I expect the quality only to increase. As always, these wines are rich and concentrated, yet it s the purity of fruit and seamless mouthfeels that set his wines apart. These don t come cheap, but they deliver the goods. [29/11/2018]

Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035