Luc and Cendrine Guénard purchased Château Valcombe from Paul Jeune (of Domaine Monpertuis) in They now are proudly independent vignerons with a compulsion to further improve this jewel of an estate. Their first efforts were in the 2009 vintage and we expect to have a long relationship with this couple who have been certified organic as of 2013. There are twenty-eight hectares of vineyards at the estate. Four red grape varieties (Syrah, Carignan, Grenache and Cinsault) and four white grape varieties (Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Bourboulenc) are planted and the average age of the vines is 55 years. Certain parcels of Carignan and Grenache were planted in 1936. The soils are essentially limestone and are covered with the famous “galets” of that area, large round rocks worn smooth by the movement of the Rhône River. Deep in the subsoil one also finds the unusual blue-inflected clay (“bleu argile”) that helps define the unique characteristics of the wines of Valcombe.
