Château Combel-la-Serre - L'Éléphant blanc 2023
91/100
Bettane & Desseauve
90/100
RVF
"A wine for friends, without pretension"
Combel La Serre's Éléphant Blanc is vinified in a minimalist style to preserve its aromatics and freshness. The result is an easy-drinking cuvée with a charming nose of white fruits and citrus. A wine with good length and plenty of freshness.
Buy your Combel-la-Serre wines at the best price in our private sale!
from €99 on your first order
Eye
Golden dress
Nose
Charming, aromas of white fruits and citrus, some floral notes
Mouth
Juicy, lively, and crisp
Serve
At 10°-12°C
Drink before
2027
Food and wine pairings
Pairs well with vegetarian dishes, shellfish, salmon steak, tuna tataki...
Bettane & Desseauve
Wine rated 91/100
Rated estate (2026 guide) 3 stars (High-quality production, serving as a benchmark in its sector)
About the estate:
Jean-Pierre Ilbert left the cooperative winery in 1998 to create Château Combel La Serre. To promote it, the family traveled throughout France. The turning point came in 2011 when his son Julien and his wife Sophie decided to switch to organic farming (certification obtained in 2013). The two of them gave the 26-hectare estate a major facelift. As in Burgundy, everything is focused on plot selection, highlighting the different terroirs in which they strongly believe, creating stylish vintages with modern labels. The grape varieties are traditional for the reds, but more unusual for the whites, with Vermentino and Albariño, which they are particularly fond of. The style of the wines is precise, close to the fruit with a strong expression of the terroir. This close-knit couple puts their ambition and enthusiasm at the service of their wines.
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Wine rated (2025 guide) 90/100
Rated estate (2026 guide) 1*Star (Up-and-coming stars or quality winemakers producing good-quality wines; you won't be disappointed when tasting the wines from these estates)
About wine:
From Sauvignon to Grenache, Colombard to Vermentino, all that was missing was Macabeu to give the White Elephant a vibrant southern profile.
About the estate:
Julien Ilbert and his wife Sophie are responsible for the future of this vineyard, which has been in existence since 1900. Breaking with his father's model, Julien has turned to bottling; he has sought a new identity, placing eloquent and modern labels on his various bottles. His vintages are gaining in stature every year. He gets the best out of the 23 hectares planted with Auxerrois, the local name for Malbec, and his Vermentinos and Albarinos, southern grapes that find a suitable base and climate here. Alongside the Le Lac aux Cochons (iron-rich limestone soil), Au Cerisier (red clay), and Les Peyres Levades (limestone) parcels, he is adding new bottles to the range that mark the tremendous evolution of the Cahors vineyard.
Discover other wines from the estate
