2021 Laurent Combier Syrah 'Collines Rhodaniennes'

100% organic Syrah, coming from the granite-heavy Cap-Nord vineyard on the right side of the river combined with vineyards above these in the IGP (formerly Vin de Pays) Collines Rhodaniennes making up the majority of the blend. Aged in a combination of cement tanks and cement egg.  Basically a declassified Crozes-Hermitage! 

Tasting Notes

 Both forward in fruit and elegant in balance, this delicious everyday red is silky, tender, fruity and fresh, with notes of blueberry, cherry, violet, and black pepper. We are known for offering value wines, and this might be one of the most best value Syrahs we have ever tasted! It’s good today, but will probably be better in a few years. Give it some air and have with some food if you open now. 

About Laurent Combier

Maurice Combier left the Ardèche department in 1962 and bought property in Pont de l’Isère in the Drôme department to the east. At that time, the nearby Valence area was France’s top fruit hub, so Maurice continued his father Camille’s tradition of growing fruit. The apricots and peaches were sold to a local fruit cooperative and the grapes to the cooperative in Tain l’Hermitage a few kilometers north. During the 1970’s, Maurice began working all of his land organically, rather than spraying his plants with dangerous chemicals and pushing production with synthetic fertilizers. As this was previously unheard of in Crozes-Hermitage (and for that matter, just about all of Europe), he became known locally as Maurice le Fou (Crazy Maurice). But before long, the orchards and vineyards had achieved a balance and were producing even more delicious fruit. Other producers in the area soon followed Maurice’s lead. To his delight, in 1989 Maurice’s first son Laurent came into the fold and continued selling their fruit. Laurent concurrently studied viticulture and agriculture in Orange and did apprenticeships at various wine domaines further south, including stints in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Domaine d’Ott in Provence. Maurice and Laurent decided to leave the cooperative the next year and set off on their own. They established their own fruit brand called Combier, whose organic peaches and apricots are still available throughout much of France.