« There are landscapes in Gironde that are far more famous, but from La Solitude, there emanates a serious and discreetly tormented melancholy that is found nowhere else. »
Jean-Paul Kauffmann
Le Domaine de La Solitude
A time where urgency is banished
November… The late season suits La Solitude. Situated just a short distance from the village of Martillac, yet slightly secluded, overlooking the surrounding vineyards, the sober architecture of the monastery of the Holy Family and its ancillary buildings is set in a vast park, where the autumnal hues merge into silence…
On the edge of the buildings, a wide avenue of tall-stemmed trees creates a bucolic pattern that gently leads to an island topped with a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of All Graces, around which a stream meanders. Beyond a small bridge, set in the romantic imprint of the place, the imposing statue of the founder, Father Pierre Bienvenu Noailles, invites the stroller to transition from daydreaming to meditation.
This pastoral landscape, once reclaimed from the forest, was not so long ago the site of varied agricultural pursuits, of which vineyards were but one element. Between prayer and the labor of the land, the sisters of the Holy Family lived in a manner akin to self-sufficiency.
Time has passed… The respect for the terroir, the golden rule of the Domaine de La Solitude, is today embodied in ever-deepening ecological values, of which the choice of organic farming and biodynamics forms the heart… This aim is supported by the protective environment of the forest, which contributes to the balance of vineyard life through a microclimate whose coolness ensures a long and gentle maturation of the grapes and the contribution of a preserved biodiversity.
Thus, gradually, the primacy of the vineyard has shaped the landscape of La Solitude, reinforcing the long-established dialogue between religious fervor and wine. In tune with the sound of the convent’s bell that marks the rhythm of prayer, the labors of the land have aligned with a time where urgency is banished.
The Soul of the Place
On the other side of the small local road that crosses the vineyard and separates the convent buildings from the wine operation, the composite architecture of the operational buildings reflects the new order at La Solitude. Indeed, since 1993, under the guidance of Olivier Bernard who leased the Domain, a long and patient renovation work has been undertaken, respecting the spirit of the place and the existing structures.
« We have preserved the spiritual dimension of the place, the things that were there, the religious evocations… The sisters feel at home, come to see us, and the people who work here, sometimes for a long time, have acquired a particular sensitivity and contribute to the soul of the place. I also believe that visitors feel this singular truth, this harmony between the wine they taste and what people experience here… »