We’re back in one of those “next-door” appellations we talk so much about, mining for gold along the fringes of a more ‘prestigious’ AOC. As fans of northern Rhône Syrah know, wine doesn’t get much more “site-specific” than Hermitage—a small appellation, comprised of a single south-facing hillside along the Rhône. With only about 140 hectares of vines in total, Hermitage is an extremely rare Syrah-based commodity, and is priced accordingly. Surrounding Hermitage to the north, east, and south is Crozes-Hermitage—a vastly larger, more geologically diverse appellation that is prime hunting ground for value-seekers.
This wine from Domaine Combier is a trophy catch from a property whose well-positioned, organically farmed vineyards consistently deliver some of the best Crozes-Hermitage around—evoking memories of Hermitage itself. This is a wine we seek out every year (along with its single-vineyard sibling, “Clos des Grives,” which will be offered soon), and we’re blown away with what Laurent Combier turned out in 2014: A darkly delicious, complex red that, above all, delivers the floral aromatic high notes and meaty depth that distinguishes great northern Rhône Syrah. It has a level of elegance rarely found at this price point. If you don’t already know Domaine Combier (and you should), now’s the perfect opportunity to get acquainted! (REMINDER: This is the domaine's flagship, smaller-production white label bottling, not the more widely available Laurent Combier cuvée with the purple label.)
The Combier property, based in the village of Pont-de-l’Isère—so named for the Isère River, which meets the Rhône River just south of Tain l’Hermitage—was known for apricots and peaches before grapes and wine. Maurice Combier purchased the property in 1962, and by the early ‘70s he had begun converting his orchards to organic farming—which, in those chemical-happy days, earned him the nickname ‘Maurice le Fou’ (‘Crazy Maurice’). Before long, though, his practices were being widely imitated, and when his son, Laurent, joined him in the late ‘80s, they put the ‘Combier’ name on their produce. They also began expanding their vineyard holdings, with Laurent leading the charge, and today the domaine includes about 20 acres of vines in several villages—all of them in close proximity to the Hermitage hill above Tain where Crozes’ best vineyards are located. One of the Combiers’ immediate neighbors is another Crozes-Hermitage master, Alain Graillot.
Overall, as even a quick look at a Rhône Valley map confirms, Crozes-Hermitage is a large and diverse appellation, making it difficult to simply label it “baby Hermitage,” although there are areas—particularly the section of the appellation that hugs the Rhône north of Tain—with similar soils to those of Hermitage. Much of the basis for this wine comes from vineyards in Gervans, a village north of Tain with a granite bedrock much like that of nearby Hermitage. The cuvée also includes fruit from vineyards further south in Pont-de-l’Isère, where soils are a mix of river cobble and silt; the result is a wine of both generosity and backbone, its ample fruit and rich texture supported by perfect acidity and a soft mineral edge. This is a family that’s all about pristine, perfectly ripe organic fruit, and it shows in the wine.
This 2014 “White Label” from Domaine Combier was crafted from completely destemmed fruit which was fermented in stainless steel and transferred to used French oak barrels for 12 months of aging before bottling. In the glass it is a deeply concentrated dark purple with magenta highlights at the rim, with aromatics that scream ‘textbook’ northern Rhône: scents of black raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry rise from the glass, along with more savory/floral notes of violets, lavender, underbrush, wild flowers, cured meat, black olive, wild herbs, and black pepper. It is medium-plus in body, with sweet black and blue fruit in the mid-palate accented by well-integrated olive and meat notes. It is a beautifully balanced red with a lot of lift—and a delightfully aromatic finish which seems to go on for minutes. When I opened this bottle for tasting notes it was impossible to stop drinking, so I just gave in and finished it off by myself. There was no guilt, just pure joy and excitement for the Syrah variety. There is no question I will be buying a case for myself and watching this evolve over the coming years. It will age gracefully for 10 years or longer if kept well, but there’s enough generosity of fruit to enjoy it right away, too: simply decant it about 30 minutes before serving at 60-65 degrees in Bordeaux stems. The go-to food for this kind of meaty, dark-fruited Rhône red is typically lamb, and given the resolutely classic flavors and proportions of this wine I’ve got to go with a classic cassoulet to serve with it. Crozes-Hermitage rarely gets as close to its “big brother” as this—I’m confident you’ll agree!
