July 2021 Release Newsletter

Celebrating Our Independence from the Pandemic

Special Release of Library Wines Inspired by Legendary Winemakers

VERTICAL of ST ANDELAIN (the unicorn): 2012 – 2013 – 2014

ONE BIG BARREL: SOLITAIRE MonoClone Pinot Noir: 2013 – 2014 – 2015

GRANDS CHARMES 2015 MonoClone Pinot Noir ONE BARREL PRODUCED

On this much-anticipated 4th of July, we feel deep appreciation for the entire medical profession – the vaccine researchers, doctors, nurses, scientists, and all that have worked tirelessly to allow us to reclaim our independence from 16 months of lockdowns. Their amazing and selfless work inspires us to be more empathetic and to have a better sense of civic duty missing from our society.

It is because of their labor and dedication that our lives are returning to a new normal, restaurants are reopening their doors and our social in-person connections are resuming; families and friends are getting back together to cherish each other’s lives. To embrace life fully is to embrace each other. At Soliste, our raison d’être is to craft unique wines that help create lasting memories of joy and conviviality around the dinner table.

Wine is our therapeutic Domaine. We know that with every new harvest, we have a chance at renewal, at erasing the fires, the drought, the viruses – not from our memories but our fears. Wine for us is the great connector of people. The dinner table is how we meet, celebrate, share our lives with strangers and friends, from all religions, races, nationalities, creeds, and orientations. The table and our wines are agnostic and therefore it has no barriers and no judging, it is truly a magical elixir.

We are extremely thankful for your loyal and generous support during the last 16 months. Soliste will not have survived without you, and now we must rekindle our relationships with our restaurant friends that are re-emerging from these challenging times. Don and I are eternal optimists, and we believe that our tenacious nature will carry us well towards new harvests to share our journey with you.

In this release, we are also celebrating the lives of legendary winemakers that have redefined winemaking for generations to come.

Laurent Vaille, The Mozart of Languedoc, of the Domaine de la Granges des Peres, was arguably the man who changed our perception of Languedoc wines and elevated the region to produce wines of great pedigree. His wines and especially the whites are extraordinary, singular, and mesmerizing. He leaves us last April at 57.

In California, Jim Clendenen, the “Mind Behind” legendary Au Bon Climat, left us in May at age 68, Jim was a pioneer, generous, gregarious, strongminded, did not mince his words about “certain cepages.” But most of all he was a true Bon Vivant, infatuated with the wines of Burgundy.

Of all the legendary winemakers that have mastered their terroir, Didier Dagueneau stands alone. Both Jim and Laurent had the good fortune to have met and shared Didier’s dedication before he passed in 2008. Didier was a great influencer of Soliste, and in 2011, we produced what we believe is the most unique sauvignon Blanc, crafted with the discipline of a great white Burgundy that highlights textural perfection, enhanced with the exotic floral aromas of Sauvignon blanc.

4th of July 2021

To Liberty, Equality & The Pursuit of Happiness

Our July Release

To celebrate our independence from the pandemic we are offering two special verticals of Soliste – St Andelain the Unicorn and Solitaire from One Big Barrel. Since our restaurant partners are beginning their return, with respect for their wine lists we will no longer list wholesale prices on our website. However, we will continue to offer select wines at our special pricing for as long as we can. In addition to this new exclusive release and offer, if you also have interest in wines that you have previously enjoyed we will honor the special pricing reserved for our loyal customers on request. Please contact Don to receive wholesale pricing and availability.

St Andelain Library Vertical; 2012 – 2013 – 2014
St Andelain is our homage to the incomparable late Didier Dagueneau. He single-handedly revolutionized Sauvignon Blanc, bringing it to Grand Cru status as any great white Burgundy. An iconoclast among vignerons and sommeliers, he was infatuated with great Burgundies and used methods uncommon to Pouilly-Fumé, including severe pruning for drastically low yields, hand-harvesting of fruit over several successive passes (tris) through the vineyards, vineyard-designate bottling, skin contact, and barrel-fermentation. He also created his own barrels, the most famous being a cigar shape barrel we have adopted at Soliste to craft St Andelain. (Read more about the iconoclast Didier Dagueneau and here).

Now $178
6 bottles, 2 of each

SOLITAIRE MonoClone® Vertical 2013 – 2014 – 2015
Solitaire is inspired by François Bertheau and the legendary Bonne Mares vineyard. Known for his non-interventional technique (from decades ago before it became “trendy”) to respect the uniqueness and typicity of the most sacred of Grand Cru vineyards in Chambolle Musigny. The fifth generation of his Domaine, the time we spent with him in his cellar is etched in our mind. We learned of his use of large 600-liter barrels and extended aging. Solitaire embodies our commitment and passion to create compelling Pinot Noirs. (Read more about our visit with François Bertheau)

Now $238
6 bottles, 2 of each

Sold Out!
(2013-2015-2016 available as an alternative)

Once in a blue moon, we select ONE exceptional barrel that stands out from our unique MonoClone wines: 

GRANDS CHARMES MonoClone® Pinot Noir 2015
Single Vineyard, Single Clone, ONE barrel…Soliste
As our story goes, the name Soliste comes from the special single barrel the Burgundian vigneron reserves for friends and family. Our single barrel wines represent the promise and journey that is Soliste. We selected an outstanding single barrel wine from an exceptional vintage to celebrate with you our re-birth. From one barrel only 23 cases of 750s were produced, bottled, and waxed by hand.

$100
each bottle

Only 220 available

As summer heats up, our elegant Chardonnays are the perfect refreshing elixirs for the season. Don has created a special code “SummerChard” for our loyal supporters so you may continue to receive the wholesale price of $28.00 at checkout.

Now $28
each bottle

Thanks to your overwhelming support, we have sold out of most of the wines offered earlier this year. So we are digging deeper into other restaurant allocations for you as we remain eternally grateful for your support, heartfelt words of encouragement, and especially for forwarding our newsletter to your friends, whom we welcome into our Soliste family.

For orders of six bottles or more of any of our wines, shipping will be complimentary. Please visit store.soliste.com/wines to order, or contact don@soliste.com / 707-955-3005 for assistance. In the summer months, we are especially mindful of shipping weather and will protect your wines from our cellar to yours. In California, we use overnight or refrigerated delivery, to FL, IL, TX, MA, PA, NH, NJ, NY, DC we will upgrade to FedEx Cold Chain refrigerated/overnight service so you can enjoy Soliste wines all summer long. If you reside in a neighboring state we can deliver to a local FedEx Office as an option. We deeply appreciate your business as this is a great help to Soliste as we continue to navigate the next few months without significant restaurant orders.  

À Votre Santé,