J & L Wines Photo

Clos Solene

Their first glance was a coup de foudre, as the French say, a bolt of lightning.

Much like a fairy tale, Guillaume as bound by blood to become a wine maker. For the past three generations, the Fabre family has crafted wine and farmed wineries in Narbonne, South of France. As a boy, Guillaume learned how to grow and care for the grapes. Guillaume lived on the winery in the south of France, Château Saint-Eugénie, until he was 22. He was attending University in 2000 when his family decided to sell its land and move the wine business to Bordeaux, in the Côtes de Bourg, Northwest Bordeaux City. Guillaume stayed behind but while visiting his family he met his true love, Solène. Guillaume caught a glimpse of 19-year-old Solène and was determined to meet her. And that is when the bolt of lightning, “coup de foudre” happened… Passionate about viticulture, Guillaume dreamed of exploiting the riches of that unique terroir and climate, using his experience, creativity and ideas to create his own wines. He had only to leave France and move to California to put his plan to work… The couple parted, Solène to Spain to study Spanish language, literature and civilization, and Guillaume to Paso Robles, in California, the: New World, to intern at a winery. By the end of the internship, Guillaume was offered a permanent job, but the love between he and Solène was great and he had to have her come for him to accept the job. She got a letter from him while she was still in Spain, with a round trip to Paso Robles and a note saying: “If you put your confidence in me and follow me, I will offer you, in the New World, a Clos Solène, where the aromas will be more intense and the colors more brilliant, reflecting what I create with you as my muse.” This is how the couple decided to permanently move to the States together. All the while, Guillaume had the vision of creating his signature wine, “I always wanted to work on my own creation, it’s not easy to take over a family business. I needed to stay busy and make things my way.”

As the only person making his wine, Guillaume gets to control every aspect of his product, from beginning to end, from the vines to the bottled wine.

Winemaker: Guillaume Fabre

Wines Produced

  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Meritage / Bordeaux Blend
  • Red Blend
  • Rhône Blend
  • Rhône Red Blend
  • Rosé
  • White Blend
  • White Rhône Blend