Presentation
The Domaine de la Métairie d'Alon is a 25-hectare vineyard planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, located in a mountainous area around the village of Magrie, between Limoux and Roquetaillade, in the Haute Vallée de l'Aude. Managed organically on an exceptional terroir, it allows the Delaunay family to express in Languedoc the best of its Burgundian sensitivity and know-how in the production of great Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.
The "Single Vineyards" are wines from our best plots that reflect the intrinsic character of their terroir.
Terroir
This wine is named after its plot "Solaire", from the name of the former owner. This 25-year-old vineyard, located at an altitude of 360m, on the magnificent terroir of the Montagne d'Alon, faces North. The vineyard, managed organically and according to Burgundian methods, is planted in a clayey and shallow soil that directly overlooks a basic mother rock. It is an ideal situation for producing a great Pinot Noir, deep, concentrated, and balanced.
Winemaking
The grapes are hand-picked into small perforated crates at perfect ripeness. They are sorted and then placed into wooden vats. Around 20% of whole clusters are placed at the bottom of the vat, with the remainder destemmed. No sulphur is added during vinification. A three-day cold pre-fermentation maceration is carried out, followed by alcoholic fermentation at a controlled temperature of 25°C, with a brief peak at 29°C for one day. One pump-over per day and three punch-downs are performed at the height of fermentation. The total maceration lasts 14 days. The wine is then racked and gently pressed in a small pneumatic press immediately after fermentation. The free-run and press wines are aged separately for 11 months in Burgundy oak barrels (one to three years old). Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally in barrel. Bottling takes place in September 2025.
Specifications
Tasting
The Pinot Noir “Solaire” 2024 reveals a bright, radiant red colour with bluish and violet highlights. The nose is both deep and fruit-driven, combining cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant, lifted by floral notes of rose and peony. An intense freshness follows, together with more spicy and balsamic nuances evoking bramble leaf, pine forest and incense. On the palate, the wine impresses with its precise fruit, led by raspberry, supported by lively acidity and finely integrated oak. The round, silky tannins shape a texture that is both ample and refined. The overall balance is remarkable, announcing a wine of depth and promise, destined to gain further complexity over the years.
Food pairings
Serve at 14–15°C, decanted in its early years, with roasted milk-fed lamb with lemon thyme, porcini and Parmesan risotto, or a tagine of root vegetables and dried fruits. It will also pair beautifully with a 36-month aged Comté.
Reviews
En Magnum
Jancis Robinson
