Since 1860, seven generations of the Barge family have been making wine in Ampuis. Their first bottled wine appeared in 1929. The domaine is now run by Julien, who took over from his father, Gilles.
They have a total of six hectares in Côte-Rôtie, with three hectares in the lieu-dit ‘Le Combard’ being their latest addition in 2000. After rebuilding the stone terraces, replanting the vines and installing a monorail due to the steepness of the vineyard, the first vintage of 'Le Combard' was released in 2007.
The steep vineyards mean all the grapes are hand harvested. His Côte-Rôtie contains a little Viognier, with 8% in ‘Le Coeur de Combard’. Fermentation takes place in small, temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks. The wines are then aged in 600 litre oak barrels for 24 months before it is bottled.
Julien decided to create a blend from his parcels of Côte Blonde and Le Combard to produce a Côte-Rôtie that serves as a flagship for the appellation. It has layers of concentrated black fruit, tapenade and crushed stone of signature Côte-Rôtie. The ‘Coeur de Combard’ is a parcel from the single vinyeyard ‘Le Combard’ and is, to Julien’s knowledge, the only volcanic parcel in Côte-Rôtie. The fragrant violet notes, peppery herbs, and a distinct mineral elegance capture the unique character of this parcel.