ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Domaine Georges-Lombrière
Marie and Benoit Lombrière decided in 2014 to take over 5.5 hectares of the former estate of Marie’s parents, Marcel and Maryse Georges, in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. From the beginning, they associated Alaric de Portal, Deputy General Manager of an e-commerce site called ventealapropriété.com, to their adventure. They built the foundations of the domaine and defined the daily management of the vineyard. To complete his team, Benoit called a friend whose talent as a winemaker he admired, Pierre-Jean Villa. Pierre-Jean worked at prestigious domaines like Mommessin and Clos de Tart and, since 2009, makes his own wine in the heart of the northern Rhône. Together, they revived a certain idea of Châteauneuf-du-Pape by elaborating elegant wines that showcase the purity of the fruit, the truth of the grape and the terroir. They are served at the Palais de l’Elysée (the French White House) and numerous top Michelin restaurants including Alain Dutournier (Carré de Feuillants), Pavillon Ledoyen, Anne Sophie Pic (La Dame de Pic), and Helène Darroze.
Of the 5.5 ha of the estate, nearly 5 ha are a single parcel situated on a sunny south-facing slope. On the pebbles of the clay and limestone soils, typical of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, the Grenache variety, which occupies 4.5 ha of the estate, flourishes like nowhere else. The vines, some of which are more than half a century old, are located in the area known as “le bois de la vieille”. Vines have been cultivated there for 7 centuries!
Farming practices: Since 2017, the entire vineyard is in conversion to “organic farming” – which Marie and Benoit have practiced from the start. They also called on the expertise of the superstar team of Lisa and Claude Bourguignon to precisely identify the composition of their soils and replant by massal selection. The harvest is entirely done by hand and the grapes are brought to the cellar using only gravity. There, gentle extractions and ageing in large containers preserve the purity of the fruit. At the time of bottling, the wine is filtered very lightly, so as not to alter its finesse and subtlety. From harvest to bottling, every step is performed with utmost care.
Together, they revived a certain idea of Châteauneuf-du-Pape by elaborating elegant wines that showcase the purity of the fruit, the truth of the grape and the terroir.
