Clos Solène : Fleur de Solène 2015

Tasting characteristics and advice for Fleur de Solène 2015 from Clos Solène

Tasting

This wine reveals delicious, expressive aromas of luscious blackcurrant, cocoa and blackberry.

Food and wine pairings

This wine pairs perfectly with rich, flavorful red meats, notably braised beef, lamb stew or game. It also elegantly accompanies dishes featuring wild mushrooms prepared in the French style, as well as robust hard cheeses.

An elegant Californian blend from Paso Robles by Clos Solène

The estate

Founded in 2007 by Guillaume and Solène Fabre, Clos Solène is a family-owned estate located in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles, California. Guillaume, from a French winemaking family going back six generations, left Languedoc-Roussillon to settle in California, where he met his wife Solène. In January 2017, the couple acquired a 28-acre property with eight acres of established vines. Today, Guillaume and Solène Fabre run the estate together, embodying a successful synthesis of classic French viticultural techniques and the expressiveness of the Californian terroir.

The vineyard

Fleur de Solène 2015 comes from vineyards located in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles, on the western side of Highway 101. This area benefits from oceanic climatic influences from the Pacific, creating diurnal temperature swings that can reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The soils are composed of soft mineral rocks, mudstones and sandstone, reflecting an ancient marine history dating back around two million years. This pedological diversity gives the wine a distinctive mineral character and a singular geological expression.

The vintage

The 2015 vintage in Paso Robles proved particularly notable due to a multi-season drought affecting central California. This drought substantially stressed the vines, resulting in yield reductions of up to 50% compared with previous years. Despite these challenging conditions, the 2015 vintage produced wines of tremendous concentration and intense color, encouraging the full expression of each variety’s distinctive characteristics.

Winemaking and aging

Fleur de Solène 2015 benefits from co-fermentation techniques for the varieties, allowing for more complete aromatic and structural integration. Aging takes place in French oak, likely combining new and previously used barrels in balanced proportions so as not to overwhelm the fruit complexity. Harvest timing decisions were critically important for this vintage, with a meticulous parcel-by-parcel selection strategy to pick the fruit at the optimal point of ripeness.

Grape varieties

Syrah (50%)
Cabernet Sauvignon (30%)
Grenache (20%)