Seven generations of the Barge family have made wine in Ampuis, starting in 1860. Their first bottled wine appeared in 1929, and the domaine is now run by Julien Barge, who took over from his father, Gilles, in 2019.
Domaine Barge have six hectares of vines in Côte-Rôtie, with three hectares in the lieu-dit ‘Le Combard’ acquired 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. These steep vineyards require all the grapes to be hand-harvested. As is tradition, Julien’s Côte-Rôtie contains a little Viognier, with 8% in ‘Le Coeur de Combard’. Fermentation occurs in small, temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks before the wines are aged in 600-litre oak barrels for 24 months.
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 this famed appellation. The resulting expression has layers of concentrated black fruit, tapenade and crushed stone, all hallmark signatures of great Côte-Rôtie. The ‘Coeur de Combard’ is a parcel from the single vineyard ‘Le Combard’ and is, to Julien’s knowledge, the only parcel in Côte-Rôtie planted on volcanic soils. The fragrant violet notes, peppery herbs, and a distinct mineral elegance capture the unique character of this parcel.
‘Les Côtes’ is an exceptional expression of Côte Rôtie. The fruit is sourced from a selection of vineyard parcels in the Côte Blonde and Le Combard lieu-dits. The vines are planted on steep terraced slopes, typical of the appellation. The gneiss soils of the Côte Blonde lend finesse and elegance to the blend, while the iron-rich, volcanic soils of Le Combard provide structure and spice. The sites have been practising organic since 2018. The vines range from 40-60 years old, resulting in low yields with excellent concentration.
The 2022 vintage delivered exceptional growing conditions with optimal sunshine and well-timed precipitation. Clean, healthy fruit was harvested with minimal sorting required. Fermentation proceeded smoothly with strong yeast performance, resulting in a high-quality vintage that reflects the season's favorable weather patterns.
Hand-harvested grapes underwent careful selection before 30% proceeded through whole-cluster fermentation in temperature-controlled concrete vats. The wine aged for 18 months in a combination of new and used French oak barrels, with minimal racking to preserve natural complexity. The final blend from the estate's historic vineyard sites remained unfined and unfiltered before bottling.
The wine opens on a layered nose of ripe blackberry, tapenade and hints of cracked green pepper. The palate is ripe but bright, with structured tannins married with a superb depth of fruit, ending on a delicate spicy finish.
