De la Terre à la Lune 2024 Combel-La-Serre | Southwest

Combel la Serre 's De la Terre à la Lune cuvée embodies the controlled renewal of the richness of the South-West. Nestled on the limestone heights of the Causse, north of Cahors, the 0.70-hectare plot that gives birth to this wine is a veritable hanging garden. On this windy, north-facing plateau, Vermentino finds an unexpected setting at over 300 meters altitude, on bare limestone soil where the vines draw tension and minerality. This location reflects Sophie and Julien Ilbert's ambition to reveal the vitality of this white grape variety on the typical Cahors terroir, far from the beaten track. The Combel la Serre wine estate, committed to organic farming since 2013, orchestrates this cuvée like a sensory short film. Hand-harvested, pressed directly and very slowly in whole bunches, fermented and aged without wood to preserve the purity of the Vermentino: every gesture is precise, designed to enhance the mineral freshness of the terroir.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : This South-Western UFO is a masterful demonstration that Vermentino can flourish in a cool, limestone terroir. It offers a taut, perfectly chiselled palate, with a salinity that flatters the taste buds. It's a white wine of pleasure, but also of character.

On the nose, Cuvée 2024 opens with an engaging palette of summer fruits: white peach, crisp pear and a hint of exotic fruits, all with finesse. Light floral notes of acacia flower and honeysuckle add delicacy, followed by saline aromas reminiscent of damp chalk. The bouquet gains in energy with lemony accents, expressing immediate, vibrant freshness.

On the palate, the attack is strikingly lively and juicy, making it particularly light and pleasant. The texture is supple and precise, enveloping the palate without emphasis, before giving way to elegant mineral tension. The white-fleshed fruit flavors continue on a saline note, while the clean, persistent finish echoes the freshness of the plateau. This white wine is both invigorating and charming, offering a salivating freshness that begs for another sip.