Critics reviews
This was a rock star lineup by owner/winemaker Florent Viale. Covering roughly 13 hectares in Crozes Hermitage (mostly around the villages of Mercurol and Tain) and just under two hectares in Hermitage, the wines from this domaine see a traditional vinification followed by aging mostly in older demi-muids, with new oak kept to around 20% for most of the cuvees. The wines are classic, textbook examples of their appellations and should not be missed. The fact that they can represent good value is just icing on the cake.
Drink 2013-2016
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate #210, Dec 2013
About this WINE
Domaine du Colombier
Domaine du Colombier is widely recognised as one of the best sources of high quality Hermitage and Crozes Hermitage wine.
The Viale family planted their first vines at the foot of the Hermitage hill in 1929; now the representative of the third generation, the tall and charming Florent, owns over 13 hectares of vines liberally scattered on some of the best sites over the communes of Mercurol and Tain, including 1.5 hectares of vineyards in the renowned Beaumes vineyard on the famous Hermitage hill. Before 1992 the entire production was sold to local negociants (Guigal in particular) and so only recently have the Viales been estate bottling and marketing their own wines.
The average age vines in the holding in Beaumes is over 50 years and this is reflected in the wine which is renowned for their purity and harmony. The Syrah is fermented in a cement, stainless steel and wood, and then matured over eight months in cement and 600 ltr demi-muids.
Florent is keen on emphasising the primacy of ripe fruit above all else, but his wines are not without structure and ageing potential. Colombier’s Crozes Hermitage is now consistently one of the finest in the Appellation with the wines from 2001 (excepting the tricky 2002 and 2003) getting better and better, in particular this, the charming and relatively approachable 2006.
Northern Rhône blend
A Northern Rhône blend is a wine made from grapes grown in the northern part of the Rhône Valley in France. This region is known for producing some of the world’s most acclaimed and distinctive wines.
The red blends typically revolve around the Syrah (Shiraz) grape. These wines are known for their deep colour, complex aromas of dark fruits, black pepper, floral notes, and a firm tannic structure. The most famous appellations for these wines include Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, and Cornas. Côte-Rôtie often incorporates a small percentage of Viognier, adding floral and aromatic elements to the wine.
In the Northern Rhône, Viognier is the primary white grape variety. Viognier-based wines from appellations like Condrieu are highly aromatic, with flavours of stone fruits, floral notes and sometimes a hint of spice. These wines are often full-bodied and have a luxurious texture.
A unique characteristic of some Northern Rhône red wines is the co-fermentation of Syrah and Viognier grapes. This process involves fermenting the two grape varieties, resulting in wines seamlessly integrating Viognier’s aromatic qualities with Syrah’s structure and depth.
Northern Rhône blends are celebrated for their elegance, complexity, and terroir-driven characteristics. They are considered some of the finest examples of varietal wines produced in France and are highly sought after by wine enthusiasts and collectors worldwide.
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Description
The Marsanne is predominantly grown in the commune of La Mason Blanche, just beneath Les Rocoules on the eastern edge of the appellation. Alluvial soils host grapes, some of which date back to 1944, and lend freshness to the wine, which is luminous of hue and already decidedly complex, with agrumes and hazelnuts currently in the ascendant.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer
Florent and David Viale continue to make ‘go-to’ wines, their attractive winery well located beneath the western side of the hill of Hermitage and their Crozes sourced on the more gentle slopes of Tain and Mercurol. Their holdings in Hermitage are modest at 2 hectares, but that’s two hectares more than many of their neighbours and they are suitably deferential to the vines in question. Florent advises that 2012 was a ‘very pleasant revelation at the assemblage stage’ and ranks it highly
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