2016 Combier Crozes-Hermitage Cuvee Laurent Organic, Northern Rhone

So far ahead of the organics game was Laurent’s father Maurice, he gained the nickname of Maurice le Fou (Crazy Maurice) when he converted the family’s mixed fruit farm over 40 years ago.
 
All that hard work has paid off for his son, and current generation winemaker Laurent Combier. After a short hiatus away from the family farm studying oenology and working at some fancy wineries Laurent returned full of knowledge and gusto, and big decisions were made to pull their grapes from the local co-op and focus on Domaine Combier. Since those important years, Domaine Combier has grown quite a following for their organic, and more importantly, well made wines. 

Combier Crozes Hermitage Cuvée Laurent is one of the Northern Rhône’s most soulful Syrah wines, coming from old vine parcels on the gravel and alluvial terraces that lie between the Rhône River and the foothills of Hermitage. These stony soils are key to the wine’s character, storing warmth during the day and reflecting it back to the vines at night, allowing Syrah to ripen fully while keeping its trademark peppery freshness. Domaine Combier has been a pioneer of organic farming in Crozes Hermitage since the 1960s, long before it was fashionable, and today the family continues to work their vineyards with deep respect for the land and the life in the soils.

Cuvée Laurent is drawn from some of the estate’s oldest vines and is fermented with minimal intervention, allowing the purity of fruit and terroir to take centre stage. In the glass it is a deep, dark purple, opening with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, cracked pepper, violets and subtle smoky spice. The palate is powerful yet beautifully shaped, layering dark fruits, savoury olive and cured meat notes with fine, grainy tannins and a long, mineral driven finish. It is superb with grilled steak, lamb, game and slow cooked dishes, and it has the structure to age for ten to fifteen years, gaining more earthy, leather and truffle complexity as it evolves.