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

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

When Jean-Pierre Ilbert left the Cave Coopérative in 1998, he created Château Combel La Serre. To promote it, the family travelled all over France. The turning point came in 2011 when his son Julien and his wife Sophie decided to go organic (certification obtained in 2013). Together, they gave the 26-hectare estate a major facelift. As in Burgundy, the focus is on plot selection, highlighting the different terroirs in which they believe so strongly, and creating stylish cuvées with modern labels. The grape varieties are traditional for the reds, more atypical for the whites, with vermentino and albarino, which they are particularly fond of. The style of the wines is precise, close to the fruit, and expressive of the terroir. This close-knit couple devote their ambition and enthusiasm to their wines.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

As charming as ever, the handsome La Vigne just behind Carbo has underlying fruit but, unlike last year, we prefer the square-jawed structure of whole-wine Auxerrois.

About the domain :

ulien Ilbert and his wife Sophie are responsible for the destiny of this vineyard, which has been in existence since 1900. Breaking away from his father's model, Julien has taken the bottling turn; he has gone in search of a new identity, putting eloquent, modern labels on his various bottles. Every year, his cuvées grow in stature. He makes the most of the 23 hectares planted with auxerrois, the local name for malbec, and vermentinos and albarinos, southern grapes that find the right 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 has added a number of new wines to the range, signalling the formidable evolution of Cahors vineyards.