Domaine Combier : Clos des Grives 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes of the Crozes-Hermitage "Clos des Grives" 2023

Tasting notes

Colour
A deep violet hue reveals itself in the glass, typical of the grape variety's youth, offering a presentation of great elegance.

Nose
Complex and evolving, the bouquet opens with aromas of black fruits such as blackberry, blackcurrant and black cherry, enhanced by floral touches of violet and rose petal. With aeration, subtle spicy notes of white and black pepper, liquorice, as well as light smoky nuances are revealed.

Palate
The attack is full and juicy, dominated by black fruit flavours supported by a lovely minerality. The palate offers a velvety texture with fine, polished tannins. In the mid-palate, notes of cocoa, tapenade, garrigue and graphite bring lovely complexity. The finish, of remarkable length, extends with touches of dried herbs, black pepper and mineral salt.

Food and wine pairing

This red wine pairs wonderfully with grilled or roasted meats such as prime rib, herb-crusted rack of lamb or duck breast. It also goes very well with feathered game, refined bistro cuisine, or savoury vegetarian dishes such as a root vegetable gratin or aubergines with black olives.

Service and storage

For optimal tasting, it is recommended to serve this 2023 vintage at a temperature between 14 and 16°C, after decanting for one to two hours. This wine can be enjoyed in its youth but will continue to improve, drinking well until around 2035.

The elegance and minerality of a Rhône Valley red wine

The estate

Founded in 1936 by Camille Combier, Domaine Combier is located in Pont-de-l'Isère. Initially oriented towards polyculture, the estate distinguished itself through its pioneering shift to organic farming as early as 1970, driven by Maurice Combier. Today, the estate is run by Laurent Combier and his sons, Julien and David. At the head of a vineyard of around 57 hectares, they continue an environmentally respectful philosophy, combining family traditions with technical innovations to produce wines of great purity.

The vineyard

The estate's flagship cuvée comes from a historic 9-hectare plot located in the southern part of the Crozes-Hermitage appellation. Planted from 1952 onwards, these old vines thrive on a distinctive terroir composed of rolled pebbles resting on a clay-limestone base. This soil promotes optimal drainage and consistent grape ripening. The vineyard is managed with controlled yields to ensure maximum concentration of aromas.

The vintage

The year 2023 benefited from moderate climatic conditions in the region. Balanced sunshine helped avoid excessive heat stress. This mild weather gave the grapes the warmth needed to reach perfect phenolic maturity while preserving a lovely natural acidity, a guarantee of freshness.

Winemaking and aging

After manual harvesting and rigorous sorting, the grapes for the Crozes-Hermitage "Clos des Grives" 2023 are entirely destemmed. Fermentation takes place using indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for about 25 days. Malolactic fermentation then takes place in oak barrels. Finally, the wine is aged for 12 months in barrels previously used for three to nine years, allowing the tannins to soften without masking the fruity expression, before further ageing in bottle.

Grape variety

Syrah (100%)