2023 Clos Solene Hommage Blanc
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Tasting notes
Stone fruits, pear, crushed stone, and hints of orange blossom emerge from the 2023 Hommage Blanc. Based on 79% Roussanne, 19% Viognier, and 2% Grenache Blanc, aged six months in 25% new oak, 60% used French oak, and concrete eggs, it's medium-bodied, focused, and minerally driven on the palate, with good overall balance. It’s made in a more straightforward, pure style that will shine on the dinner table. Drink 2025-2029. 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.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
79% Roussanne, 19% Viognier, 2% Grenache Blanc. Aged in 20% new oak, the remainder in neutral oak and amphora. Malolactic conversion was blocked. Pale lemon. Nose-tickling, lemon zestiness with chalky minerality and salinity complemented by sweet oak spice. High, driving acidity but with a weighty, rounded mid palate. (SCJ)
The 2023 Hommage Blanc blends 79% Roussanne, 19% Viognier and 2% Grenache Blanc. The nose is enticing and harmonious, with beautiful aromas of white peach, green apple, citrus blossoms and white flowers. The palate is pure, refined and elegant, with a crisp, chalky finish and great length. This is a lovely example of Paso Robles's potential to make white wines that merit as much attention as reds, especially in the hands of winemakers who take lessons from the Old World.
Savory herbs and wildflowers complicate freshly sliced apricots as the 2023 Hommage Blanc wafts up from the glass. Soft, round textures splash across the palate, complicated by salty minerals and citrus-tinged orchard fruits. A saline sensation remains, rich yet zesty, as nuances of green apple fade. The 2023 Hommage Blanc is a wine of lovely contrasts.