Maurice Combier came to Pont de l’Isère in 1962 to grow apricots, other fruit, and grapes. In the 70s he converted to organic agriculture and people labeled him ‘Maurice Le Fou’ (Crazy Maurice). He sold his grapes to the cooperative. In 1989 his son Laurent joined the domaine. He became interested in winemaking, studied oenology, and moved the domaine into viticulture. He built a cave and started to produce wine.
Today the domaine has 35 hectares with most of the vineyards situated around Pont de l’Isère in the AOP Crozes-Hermitage and some smaller plots across the river in Saint Joseph.
Owner/ Winemaker Laurent Combier was our host. He showed us the modern winemaking facilities, including a large number of concrete eggs and then led a tasting in estate's tasting room.
Vitabella: Domaine Combier Celebrates Half a Century of Organic Farming
See here.
Domaine Combier in Crozes-Hermitage – owner of the Clos des Grives – has just celebrated 46 years of being organic, making the estate one of the pioneers of organic agriculture in France. Almost half a century later, history has proved Maurice Combier right. He passed away at the beginning of this year, leaving his son Laurent a priceless legacy: land that is healthy, rich and full of life thanks to his determination to protect the natural environment despite all opposition. Half a century of knowledge and experience for the world of viticulture that has enabled Domaine Combier to launch new organic initiatives for the next 50 years.
It was in 1970 that Maurice Combier decided to switch to organic farming in order to preserve the life of the soil and get the best out of his terroir whilst respecting nature. He described himself as a peasant wine-grower and indeed, at the time, Domaine Combier had fruit trees as well as vines. Above and beyond any economic interest, Maurice Combier saw in it an ecological interest, and the estate is now one of the few in France to have maintained its polycultural activity.
Laurent Combier comments: “Like all pioneers, my father had to be stubborn to stay his course and swim against the current. He had heard about the necessity to preserve the life of the soils and that had a positive impact on him. For him, being a peasant wine-grower meant, first and foremost, immersing himself in his terroir, preserving it, maintaining its fertility and its organic activity to get the best from it. We must now continue this work, whether it be in our vineyard or with our peach and apricot trees.”
With the arrival of the new generation in the form of Julien and David Combier the estate is preparing for the future with the acquisition of new parcels of vines and the expansion of its cellar, scheduled for 2017. The future at Domaine Combier will also see a hedge planting programme and the creation of zones of biodiversity around the new parcels. At a time of very real environmental awareness, when consumers are calling out for healthy, organic products that are good for them and for the environment, Domaine Combier is looking at new initiatives that go even further in the preservation of its ecosystem, and also in the education of tastes and flavours and the nuances of the terroir. Refining taste for a healthier body and a healthier world. A major role that is shared by winegrowers and farmers in general: to better inform, explain, drive home the message and help people consume better. That is the task Domaine Combier has set itself for the coming decades.
Tasting
The tour ended with a tasting in the tasting room of Domaine Combier, with Laurent Combier. We were greeted by Ghislaine Combier, Laurent's wife.
The Wines Laurent Poured
Laurent poured 5 Domaine Combier wines as well as 2 wines from Priorat where started to produce wine a few years ago.
2017 Cuvée Laurent Combier Rouge Euro 14.50
La « Cuvée L » Crozes-Hermitage est née en 1999 avec l’arrivée des premiers oeufs. Principalement composée de jeunes vignes, c’est la cuvée plaisir par excellence, un vin que Laurent a voulu accessible à tous. Fraîcheur, fruité et gourmandise signent ce vin à chaque millésime.
2016 Domaine Combier Rouge Euro 21
Le classique Domaine Combier, Crozes-Hermitage, signe le domaine et aussi son appellation. Structure, tanins fondus, fruité tout en rondeur: tout vient de ces galets roulés lisses et chauds qui marquent en profondeur ce terroir à nul autre pareil.
2016 Cap Nord Rouge Euro 28
Cette cuvée est née en 2010, CAP NORD, Crozes-Hermitage, est une sélection parcellaire de vignes situé au Nord de l’appellation. Alliance éclatante entre concentration et finesse. Sa fraîcheur et son intensité lui procurent un excellent potentiel de vieillissement.
2016 Clos des Grives Rouge Euro 38
Le Clos des Grives, est devenu l’une des références parmi les grands vins du Nord de la Vallée du Rhône. Comme pour la haute-couture, des petites mains s’affairent quotidiennement pour élaborer une cuvée absolument unique. Nécessitant du temps, il bénéficie toujours d’une année de vieillissement supplémentaire passée en bouteille. Ce vin marque par sa profondeur, l’ampleur de sa matière et la finesse de sa structure. Généreux dans sa jeunesse, il prend la parfaite expression du vin de taffetas avec les années et les décennies.
2017 Domaine Combier Blanc Euro 21
Le classique Domaine Combier, Crozes-Hermitage, est 80% Marsanne et 20% Roussanne. Un assemblage idéal selon la vision de la famille: « Nous voulions un vin pour la table. L’exubérance de la Roussanne est tempérée par la minéralité de la Marsanne. La richesse s’harmonise avec la droiture.
Priorat Wines
We ended the tasting with 2 wines from the Priorat, where Domaine Combier recently started to produce wine with a partner.
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