Domaine Combier

Domaine Combier

"Magique!" exclaims the French wine bible La Revue du Vin de France (LRdVdF) about Domaine Combier's top wine "Clos des Grives" from 2016. No wonder. Here we are talking about syrah of the highest calibre. Just to be safe, LRdVdF adds that the estate's other wines are also of excellent quality and that you can always rely on them. Naturally, we are delighted to import these treats! It all began in 1936 when grandfather Camille Combier came down from the mountains of Ardèche and bought some land near the Rhône river. There he planted fruit trees and vines. 30 years later, his son Maurice took over the operation and became a pioneer in organic cultivation when he went fully organic as early as 1969. Fast forward another 20 years, and the next son, Laurent, takes over - and now things really start to happen. He builds a new production facility, streamlines, and focuses solely on vines. Soon his first wine sees the light of day, in 1990. That it was organically certified perhaps wasn't something many cared about, but the quality raised a few eyebrows. And the rest is history. Today, Laurent and his Domaine Combier, with the flagship cuvée Clos des Grives, are counted among the very best not only in Crozes-Hermitage but in the world of syrah. Domaine Combier encompasses 30 hectares of vineyards, planted with syrah (28 ha) and two hectares of white varieties (marsanne 80%, roussanne 20%). Since 2014, the next generation Combier, Julien, has also been working on the estate.