Combier

History of Domaine Combier

It all began in 1936, when Camille Combier left his native Ardèche for the Drôme, where he acquired a property with three hectares of vines and four hectares of apricot trees. He gradually focused his vineyard on Syrah. By 1952, the property had grown to five hectares, including a plot that would later become the famed Clos des Grives. His son Maurice took over the estate in 1962.

The decisive turning point came in 1969. After suffering a severe allergic reaction to a vineyard treatment, Maurice Combier made a radical decision: to convert all his crops to organic farming. At a time when chemicals were used everywhere and organic farming had yet to emerge as a concept, the move seemed crazy. Yet it made Maurice one of the first Rhône winegrowers to take this path, more than fifty years before it became a trend. In 1990, Laurent Combier succeeded his parents. Having trained at Château Romassan in Bandol and then in Pernand-Vergelesses, he built a modern winery, stopped sending part of the harvest to the local cooperative so he could bottle everything at the estate, and created Clos des Grives. Vintage after vintage, he steered the estate toward finesse and precision, to the point that his wines stand comparison with wines from far more prestigious terroirs. Julien and David now carry the legacy forward, bringing an open, contemporary perspective without betraying the spirit of the place.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Combier

The heart of the estate lies in the southern part of Crozes-Hermitage, near the Chassis plain, on a clay-limestone plateau covered with rounded pebbles. This is where Clos des Grives stands, slightly higher than the rest of the appellation. Its old vines include five prime hectares that produce the cuvée that brought the estate international renown. The pebbles absorb heat and release it at night, while the clay retains the water needed through the Drôme’s dry summers.

Mindful of the diversity of its appellation, the estate also farms plots to the north, in Serves-sur-Rhône and Gervans, at elevations of 300 to 450 meters, on loess and slightly sandy decomposed granite soils. In Saint-Joseph, the vines cling to the very stony granite hillsides of the Rhône’s right bank, particularly around Tournon, with cool northeastern exposures and slopes that naturally limit yields. Syrah dominates the reds, while Marsanne and Roussanne lead the whites. All recent plantings use massal selection. The soils are worked by hand, the lunar calendar is part of the estate’s routine, and yields are kept between 35 and 40 hectoliters per hectare. Harvesting is done by hand, with careful sorting.

Winemaking at Domaine Combier

The winemaking philosophy comes down to one idea: favor fruit and freshness over extraction and power. The grapes are fully destemmed, then fermented in temperature-controlled concrete or stainless-steel tanks, depending on the cuvée, sometimes in small ten-hectoliter vats for the most selective bottlings. Maceration lasts around twenty days, with pump-overs morning and evening, without ever pushing extraction too far.

Aging combines the best of oak barrels and concrete eggs. The entry-level cuvées rest primarily in egg-shaped tanks, supplemented by a portion aged in oak barrels more than eight years old, which lend structure without leaving an obvious imprint. The top cuvées spend twelve months in Burgundy barrels and demi-muids, sometimes in large oak casks, with each barrel tasted monthly. Clos des Grives always receives an additional year of bottle aging before release. The result is Crozes-Hermitage wines of exceptional velvety texture, with a backdrop of slightly jammy dark fruit and remarkably elegant tannins.

The cuvées of Domaine Combier

Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée L Rouge: the famous purple label, a nod to Syrah’s characteristic violet aroma. Made from young vines under fifteen years old, planted on a clay-limestone plain strewn with rounded pebbles, it is aged for eight to ten months in concrete eggs (around 70%) and old oak. A translucent garnet color, a vibrant nose of raspberry, cherry and violet lifted by a hint of pepper, and a generous, refreshing palate. The Combier to open for no particular reason.

Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée L Blanc: the white version of this approachable cuvée, a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne partially aged in egg-shaped tanks. Floral freshness, a supple texture and a finish of white fruit.

Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Combier Rouge: the estate’s flagship blend, bringing together vines around thirty years old from both ends of the appellation. A deep, dark color, aromas of crushed red fruit and dark berries, and a generous, focused, pure palate with supple tannins. Impressively drinkable and a bottle worth keeping in your cellar.

Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Combier Blanc Sec: barrel-aged Marsanne and Roussanne make a white wine that is both full-bodied and taut, with notes of almond and white-fleshed fruit and a pleasing saline finish.

Crozes-Hermitage Cap Nord Rouge: first produced in 2010, this single-parcel selection comes from vines in the northern part of the appellation, in Serves-sur-Rhône and Gervans, at elevations of 300 to 450 meters, on loess and decomposed granite. Made from 45-year-old Syrah vines, it combines concentration and finesse with freshness and intensity that give it excellent aging potential. Aged for twelve months in barrels three to five years old.

Crozes-Hermitage Clos des Grives Rouge: the estate’s flagship and one of the finest Syrahs of the Northern Rhône. Vines over fifty years old grow on the clay-limestone plateau strewn with rounded pebbles at Pont-de-l’Isère. Yields are limited to 35 hectoliters per hectare, followed by a twenty-five-day fermentation in stainless-steel tanks, malolactic fermentation in barrels, twelve months of aging in Burgundy barrels and a further twelve months in bottle. Depth, breadth and finesse of structure; with time, a taffeta-like texture and aromas of truffle, leather and forest floor.

Crozes-Hermitage Clos des Grives Blanc Sec: the top age-worthy white cuvée, made almost entirely from Roussanne grown on fifty-year-old vines, the result of a selection patiently developed by Laurent Combier. Barrel fermentation is followed by twelve months of aging and another twelve months in bottle. Broad yet disciplined, fragrant and long, it ranks among the great whites of the Northern Rhône and rewards patience.

Saint-Joseph Rouge: Syrah sourced exclusively from the village of Tournon, on very stony granite soils with cool northeastern exposures. Fermentation and aging take place in 600-liter demi-muids, followed by twelve months in four-year-old large oak casks. Pepper, intense dark fruit, subtle oak and exotic spices, with a palate more taut and focused than the Crozes.

Saint-Joseph Cap Nord Rouge: the estate’s top Saint-Joseph cuvée, selected from its finest granite-grown Syrah. A textured, precise, mineral wine with notes of red cherry, stone and wild herbs, silky tannins and a concentrated finish. A pursuit of perfection on this hillside terroir.