2022 Clos Solene l'Insolent
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Tasting notes
As I wrote last year when reviewing from barrel, the 2022 L'Insolent combines 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The nose is driven by classic, herbal Cabernet aromas bolstered by the dark, layered density of Petit Verdot and chocolate-tinged evidence of its new-oak élevage. The palate is quite concentrated, bordering on voluptuous, before pulling back and finishing with a long, grainy but lifted finish. When tasting from the bottle, I found this a touch less focused and multifaceted than the other Clos Solène offerings, which largely echoes my experience with the Cabernet-based wines from this vintage in Paso Robles.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Eric Guido, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Based on 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 19% Petit Verdot, aged in 85% new French oak for 22 months, the 2022 L'Insolent offers up red and black fruits, cigar, and cedary nuances. Medium to full-bodied, firm and focused, but with solid fruit and terrific balance, it displays the sunny style of the vintage while staying focused, balanced, and incredibly drinkable. It is best enjoyed over the coming 10-12 years. Drink 2025-2037. One of the top talents in Paso Robles, Guillaume Fabre worked at L’Aventure before launching Clos Solène in 2007. About seven years ago, he and his wife Solène bought a thirty-acre limestone site on Willow Creek Road at roughly 1,300 feet; it is farmed organically, and a new cave system under the property is nearly finished. Estate fruit now anchors the lineup, but it is supplemented by parcels from James Berry, G2, Hoyt, and Bien Nacido in Santa Maria Valley. The wines span the Roussanne-based Hommage Blanc, Grenache-led El Toro and Harmonie, Syrah-focused Hommage à Nos Pairs and Bien Nacido Cuvée Jean, the Cabernet-driven L’Insolent, the mixed variety Fleur de Solène, and the barrel selection Mon Millésime. Reds generally age 16-22 months in varying levels of new French oak. These are classic, impeccably made wines, rich yet structured, with seamless textures and beautiful overall balance, and Clos Solène is becoming a reference point for age-worthy wines from the region.
The 2022 L'Insolent opens with a minty freshness as pine shavings, cocoa and dried flowers complicate crushed woodland berries. This is pure elegance—refined, velvety in texture and lifted in feel. Crisp red and black fruits flow along a stream of brisk acidity. The 2022 tapers off long and potent with a staining of fine-grained tannins that linger as hints of licorice slowly fade. Patience will be required. The L'Insolent is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 19% Petit Verdot. Tasted from barrel.
A burst of raspberry is complicated by nuances of graphite and sage as the 2022 L'insolent blossoms in the glass. The wine is elegant in feel, velvety yet fresh, with tart red berry fruits that saturate as peppery rose tones amass toward the close. It finishes structured and long yet still spry, with a slight balsamic twang and fine-grained tannins that resonate.