Wine for sale: Château Combel La Serre
WINERY OF THE WEEK
Château Combel La Serre
Julien Ilbert, owner of Château Combel La Serre, embodies the new generation of young winegrowers in Cahors. Like many others, the estate’s revival involved converting to organic farming (certification was granted in 2015).
Château Combel La Serre
As with many other farming families, grapes produced on this estate established in 1901 were sold to the cooperative for a long time, along with other agricultural products. It wasn’t until 1998, when Julien - 18 at the time – told his father that he wanted to go back to producing wine, that they decided to found their own estate, Combel La Serre, and to bottle their own wines, surprisingly enough in ‘Burgundy’ bottles.
The estate lies 17 km from Cahors, on predominantly clay-limestone soil, in Saint-Vincent-Rive-d’Olt. Julien and his wife Sophie produce red wines exclusively using Malbec (or Auxerrois as it’s known locally – only 70% Malbec is required to qualify for the appellation) and more unusual whites using Vermentino or Albariño. These wines showcase their terroir, lovingly cultivated to the needs of each plot, which offers generous flavours, freshness and depth. A South-West gem!