2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 - 1999

There are numerous wine lovers and people working in the wine business who think that the notion of ‘Vintage’ does not exist in Provence. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is not because the climate is warmer on the Côte d’Azur than in Paris or than in Lyon, that the wines are the same, year in, year out.

Each vintage is different. Any rainfall when the vines start budding in February and March or when they start to ripen at the end of August and beginning of September can interfere with the quality of the grapes. Any clouds coming in from the sea or the Mistral, may either affect or improve the quality of the grapes by concentrating the juice. The amount of sunshine is admittedly superior in the South of France than elsewhere and can influence the quality the tannins and sugar in the grapes.

It is wise to follow the weather forecasts closely as the 11 different grape varieties planted on the Domain do not all ripen at the same time! At Saint-André-de-Figuière, apart from some general characteristics, no one year resembles another. Proof is that in 1992, the first vintage produced by the Combards, is still maturing well. Whereas the 1999 although still good, needs to be drunk now.

The 2004 vintage - Back

Body and structure for the Whites and Rosés. An explosion of flavours for the Reds which are rich and supple with a good colour. The Reds, which were harvested after the Whites made the most of the light September rain which helped the tannins to mature to near perfection. There were still other things to take into consideration: drought which had prevented the sap from circulating in the vines, affecting the ripeness of the grapes. The same thing may be said for the yield, with 20% less than in 2003.

The 2003 vintage - Back

Although 2004 was dry to begin with, there was a heat wave in 2003 and the harvest was much earlier than usual: the 18th August for the Semillon. Thankfully the rainfall of the winter left enough water in reserve… or perhaps it was the sea air which contributed to the perfect balance of the grapes.
When tasting the wine, it’s all there! The skin, seeds and tannins were all perfectly ripe. This vintage marks the arrival of grapes from the 61 acres that the Combard family had acquires in a neighbouring plot. The vineyard has a stream running through it called the Maravenne separating the original property with its pebbly soils from the newly planted vines planted on clayey soils.

The 2002 vintage - Back

The year started off to be dry and the harvest was early; the 23rd August. However, heavy rain disturbed the bringing in of the grapes. As the grapes were in need of water and suffering, the rain diluted the sugar in the grapes and made the skins fragile. There was a high risk of grey rot as it rained on and off up until the middle of September by which time the harvest should have been over. Thankfully, poor soils, well aired bunches of grapes and our policy of having a small yield enabled the harvest to mature properly. On the whole, the wines are soft and fruity and to be drunk young.

The 2001 vintage - Back

Yet another dry summer with practically no rain from May to October. The result being wines even more concentrated than those in 2000; all the right conditions meant a concentration giving well-balanced wines. The Reds are tannic but smooth and the Whites and Rosés, lively and fruity. Definitely an excellent vintage to keep as far as the red wines are concerned, if only God would bless us with such a vintage every year !

The 2000 vintage - Back

The harvest was in good condition although some of the grapes had to be discarded due to a drought. The idea of selecting the grapes is to avoid the astringency and rusticity of certain grape varieties. Nevertheless, both the reds and the whites are drinking well at the moment. The special reserve reds can be kept in a good cellar for many years.

The 1999 vintage - Back

As opposed to the 2000 and 2001, the 1999 is a softer wine. The rainfall diluted the grapejuice slightly but not affecting the wine too much. All of the wines have a rather feminine touch to them, being light and graceful. The 1999 is a wine ready for drinking.