2018 Domaine de la Solitude Pessac-Leognan 750 ml

Domaine de la Solitude’s 94-point 2018 offers a rare chance to drink a top-quality red from Pessac-Léognan—the tiny corner of Bordeaux’s Left Bank best known for $600 icon Haut-Brion—without the price tag of its contemporaries.

With the soaring aromatics and exceptional elegance that are hallmarks of Pessac’s best wines, it’s a standout even in this renowned region. That’s because it comes from the heart of the appellation and is made by the expert team at Domaine de Chevalier—whose own 2018 scored 99 points.

With its impressive 94 points, Domaine de la Solitude matched scores with 2018s like Le Plus de La Fleur de Boüard ($134), La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion ($120), and Château Latour à Pomerol ($106). That stellar value is why we had to fight for an allocation once we tasted the 2018 on our last trip to Bordeaux.

Olivier Bernard, the owner of Domaine de Chevalier, has leased Domaine de la Solitude from a local monastery since 1993, and his team does all the farming and winemaking themselves. The estate is a magical place, surrounded by woodlands that protect the vineyard from moisture and wind and provide a diverse ecosystem that helps pollinators and beneficial insects thrive.

The top-class 2018 vintage will go down as one of the best of the decade. A warm, dry summer and fall allowed the grapes to ripen to luscious perfection, and Pessac-Léognan was an especially fine place to be. Domaine de la Solitude’s expression of the vintage showcased their typical elegance, but balanced by the year’s richness and generosity. The result is a bargain bottle that shows off why the region is so special.