HISTORY OF DOMAINE: Jean Marie Fourrier, one of the stellar talents of Gevrey-Chambertin, purchased Domaine Colombier in February 2001 with the intention of developing the property into one of the leading wineries of the Faugères appellation in Languedoc. Jean Marie is anxious to use the experience gained in Burgundy to draw out the soul of the terroir of Faugères and demonstrate the potential of the region to make wines to rival the quality of the greatest appellations.

COMPOSITION OF DOMAINE: Like Burgundy, Faugères is a hilly region with poor, rocky soils that vary widely in composition from one site to another, producing wines with very different personalities. Whereas the basic soil type in Burgundy is clay / limestone, in Faugères it is schist and slate. The terroir of Faugères has an ancient underpinning, its geologic foundation dating from the Paleozoic era. It is a strongly metamorphosed layered rock derived from ancient sediment. However, in contrast to Burgundy, the palette of grapes is larger and includes Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan. The combination of different soils and different grape varieties gives the winemaker a larger range from which to make the final assemblage. Faugères is located and above the baking plains below resulting in a climate that is somewhat cooler than many other regions in Languedoc. The grapes ripen more slowly and achieve power and concentration with surprising delicacy of aroma and flavor.

Fourrier owns 17 hectares of vineyards near the village of Laurens. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan (old vines) are planted in the vineyards. The average age of the vines is 35 years old. The principles of "lutte raisonnée" are practiced in the vineyards as they are at his Burgundy domaine: minimal treatments are used on the vineyards, close observation of insect infestation and vine, leaf or fruit disease is utilized so that treatments are applied only when necessary, and the presence of beneficial insects in the vineyard is encouraged. Short pruning (and severe thinning of growth when required) result in controlled yields and healthy vines.

METHOD OF VINIFICATION: The grapes are hand harvested into 30 kilo boxes that are ferried back to the winery every two hours (a critical step to eliminate any deleterious effects of the high heat that sometimes occurs at harvest time). The harvest is entirely destemmed before being vinified in open-top vats. In traditional Burgundian fashion, Jean Marie prefers to do a pigèage three times a day rather than a "pumping over". Fermentation lasts around 12 days followed by gentle pressing in a modern pneumatic press. After a 24 hour débourbage, the wine is racked into large, old wooden foudres or barrels to complete the malolactic fermentation. As in Burgundy, Fourrier practices minimal intervention and handling of his wines. The wine ages on its fine lees before being bottled with no filtration or fining. The cuvée "Adagio des Terroirs" is composed of 40 % Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, and 10% Carignan. Syrah gives power; Grenache provides aromatic complexity and finesse; Mourvèdre, and a small amount of old vine Carignan, contribute to the freshness and balance with their acidity. Only grapes from the best vineyards were selected to create this blend; the remainder of the harvest was sold off.

Tasting Notes
Bright and deep ruby-red color joined to an exuberant fruit-filled nose announces a robust but gracious wine of impeccable balance; a wine currently dominated by flavors of wild berries (both black and red) with subtle background notes of smoke and meat; a remarkably elegant wine that promises to reveal layers of complexity hitherto unknown to wines of this appellation.