WINERY: Domaine Combel La Serre
GRAPES: Malbec
VITICULTURE: Biodynamic
 
History and philosophy of the estate or the wine: 
Family property of 23 hectares (22 of Côt and 1 of Vermentino) located 17 km from Cahors on the Causse Limestone, Combel-la-Serre was created at the instigation of Jean-Pierre ILBERT who decided to leave the cooperative cellar in 1998 to become independent. son son, Julien returned to the property in 2003 and now works with Sophie, his wife. Gradually the couple breathes new life into the estate: conversion to organic (via Ecocert), return to manual harvesting on everything the vineyard with sorting at harvest, work on the different terroirs with respect for plants, reflection on the consistency of the range of wines offered by the estate… 
 
Cuvée name and appellation: 
Le Pur Fruit du Causse - Cahors AOP Grape variety: Côt Noir (or Malbec)
Density of vines/hectare: 4500
Origin of the grapes: Ownership and purchase of grapes on the limestone Causse (between 320 m and 350 m in altitude) on
mainly clay-limestone soils.
Average age of the vines: 30 years
Yields (hl/ha): 40
Vinification & ageing: Traditional short-term vinification (maceration for a fortnight) en stainless steel and cement tanks. Aging lasts 1 winter on fine lees and is done in vats only. Bottling process quickly to retain freshness.