Domaine Combier : Clos des Grives 2024

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Clos des Grives 2024 from Domaine Combier

Tasting

Colour

This white Crozes-Hermitage shows a pale yellow to golden hue, clear and brilliant, typical of the great white wines of Crozes-Hermitage made from Marsanne.

Nose

The nose unveils a floral and fruity bouquet, blending white flowers, pear and ripe peach, enhanced by notes of almond and subtle spicy touches.

Palate

The palate is dense and round, driven by a core of generous fruit and a delicate acidity that brings tension. The long finish ends on a hint of gentle, gastronomic bitterness that gives the wine its structure.

Food and wine pairing

This white wine, designed for the table, pairs beautifully with noble fish and shellfish served in a sauce, as well as free-range poultry, either roasted or coated in a creamy sauce. It also goes very well with veal dishes, where its density and freshness find a fine echo.

Serving and cellaring

The Clos des Grives 2024 is best served chilled, in large glasses that allow its full aromatic complexity to unfold. This cuvée, recognised among the great white wines of the northern Rhône Valley, has lovely ageing potential and will continue to evolve favourably in the years following its release.

Other characteristics

This dry white wine has no marked residual sugar, allowing the natural vinosity of Marsanne to express itself fully. It is made from organically grown grapes, as the estate is AB and Eurofeuille certified across its entire vineyard.

A white Crozes-Hermitage from Domaine Combier, predominantly Marsanne

The estate

Founded in 1990 by Laurent Combier in Pont-de-l'Isère, in the northern Rhône Valley, Domaine Combier is now run by Laurent, his wife Ghislaine, and their sons Julien and David, who are involved in the vineyard and the cellar respectively. A pioneer of organic farming since the late 1960s, the estate cultivates around 60 hectares between Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph, complemented by apricot orchards. Its Clos des Grives cuvée, from a historic plot planted in 1952, is the flagship of Domaine Combier.

The vineyard

The grapes for this white cuvée come from plots in the Crozes-Hermitage appellation, south of Tain l'Hermitage, on soils of alluvium, red clay and rolled pebbles. The vineyard, farmed under certified organic agriculture, benefits from a high average vine age, and the harvest is carried out by hand with strict sorting to select only the healthiest and ripest grapes.

Vinification and ageing

For the Clos des Grives 2024, Marsanne, possibly complemented by Roussanne, is vinified with care in a minimal-intervention approach. Ageing lasts around one year in a combination of barrels and globe-shaped vessels, a method that combines richness of texture with aromatic freshness, followed by an additional period of bottle ageing before release.

Grape varieties

This wine is made mainly from Marsanne, the overwhelmingly dominant variety in the estate's white plantings (around 80%), possibly complemented by Roussanne (around 20%).