This domaine was founded by Laurent Combier’s great grand father in 1936 and started out life as several hectares of vines (the grapes were sold every year to the local cooperative) and apricot trees. In 1989, Laurent’s parents ended the deal with the negociant and started looking after the 5 hectares themselves. Little by little they expanded the domaine to 15 hectares. Today it spans 25 hectares (mostly in Crozes but with a small amount in Saint-Joseph). Laurent’s arrival in 1990 marked a new chapter for the domaine. This oenology graduate constructed a new winery and made the domaine entirely independent (it was he who pushed for a break from the cooperative), introducing new methods such as the use of concrete vats and amphorae to give the wines a silkier texture. Today the wines have reached new heights. Organically produced and matured in a way that preserves the freshness and fruit, it’s difficult to find a better Crozes-Hermitage! Difficult, but not impossiblele as Laurent Combier has started working with the Spanish oenologue Veronica Ortega on some parcel selections in Crozes and Saint-Joseph. First results are very promising and these cuvées will be on the market soon.

The white Crozes-Hermitage cuvée from Domaine Laurent Combier is what we might call the estate’s classic cuvée. It is made up of 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne, both grown organically in the villages of Gervans and Pont de l’Isère at an altitude of 90 to 120 metres. The vines are around thirty years old and enjoy a terroir rich in chalk, clay, and loess (a sandy kind of granite). The yields are limited to around forty litres per hectare; the grapes are harvested by hand and thoroughly sorted. In the cellar, the wine ferments in used, Burgundian casks and matured in steel vats for 8-10 months.
In the glass we fine an ample, lively wine marked by a lovely minerality and notes of yellow fruit and white flowers. We recommend opening this wine half an hour before serving it. It will pair well with dishes like fish, poultry, cauliflower flan, or simply a cheese platter.