Château Combel-la-Serre - Côtes du Lot La Vigne Juste Derrière Chez Carbo 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

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

About wine:

As charming as ever, the handsome La Vigne, just behind Carbo, has an underlying fruitiness, but unlike last year, we prefer the square-jawed structure of the Auxerrois, vinified in its entirety.

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.