Estates

The Lancon family members are direct descendants of the Barberini family which came from Italy with the popes and established the estate in 1450. This is a family steeped in the history of the region and of France, On the label, the family crest of three bees dated to the middle ages. The three hats at the top of the label signify a pope (Urbain VIII) and two bishops from the family. The medal below the family crest is the legion d'honneur, given by Napoleon himself to the Lancon's great-great-grandfater (albeit in a losing effort at Waterloo). Another General Lancon governed the French occupation sector in Berlin immediately After world War Two.

After much success in the 1950s and 1960s, the estates declined in quality in the 1970s and 1980s. For some reason, the wines were made using the carbonic maceration method. Things have turned around significantly since then. Brothers Jean and Michel have taken over running the estate. A new member, young Pierre Sigaud, was hired in the 1990s, after having trained at Chateau Lafite. Yields were lowered through bud pruning and green harvesting, and improved vinification techniques were instituted. Fertilizers have not been used at Solitude for the past ten years.

The Estate is a contiguous 197 acres, planted to 86 acres or red grapes and 14.8 acres of white grapes, with vines averaging 50 years of age. The estate produces approximately 1850 cases of white wine each year and 15000 cases of red wine (exept in the difficult 2002 vintage , when it produced nothing).