# Combarels De L'Ombre (2024)

- **Producer:** Domaine Cassagne & Vitailles
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Grenache, Syrah, Carignan
- **Region:** Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €22
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackberry, cherry, plum, black pepper, liquorice, smoke

## About this wine

Domaine Cassagne & Vitailles was founded in Montpeyroux in 2015 by childhood friends Matthieu Cassagne and Rodolphe Vitailles under the motto 'Perfectus in Statera' (Perfection in Balance). 'Combarels De L'Ombre' forms a conceptual pair with its sister cuvée 'Combarels À La Lumière', showcasing shade versus light from the same terroir. Sourced from naturally shaded clay-limestone slopes at the foothills of the Larzac plateau, the wine benefits from cool night winds that preserve freshness and balance.

## Interesting facts

- Created as part of a conceptual duo exploring shade ('De L'Ombre') and light ('À La Lumière') from identical terroir.
- Grown on shaded east-facing slopes near Montpeyroux cooled by Larzac plateau winds.
- The domain's Latin motto 'Perfectus in Statera' translates to 'Perfection in Balance'.

## Food pairing

The wine's rich dark fruit profile, bright acidity, and fine-grained medium tannins pair excellently with savory roasted or grilled meats. The herbal Mediterranean notes of the wine complement dishes rich in rosemary, thyme, and garlic.

## Wine making process

Crafted following organic and biodynamic principles with meticulous attention to detail. Grapes undergo double sorting and late hand-harvesting to achieve full phenolic maturity. Vinification takes place at cool temperatures in small stainless steel tanks to preserve fruit purity and express plot-specific characteristics. The wine is aged for approximately 12 months in concrete and stainless steel tanks without oak contact to maintain a linear, terroir-driven character.