Domaine Courbis

Châteaubourg

Domaine Courbis already had four centuries of farming history to its name when Laurent and Dominique took over the reins in the 1980s. Their father Maurice was a trailblazer. “He planted vines on steep hillsides at a time when the wine wasn’t selling well, but he believed in it and was fearless“. With the same determination, the same refusal to take the easy way out and the same love of a job well done, the sons have continued to plant vines on the domaine’s superb steep hillside plots. And they have refined their idea of what a high-quality wine should be, unaffected by passing fads and fashions, “straight from the terroir“, wines that have become benchmarks for their AOCs. “Just because we’re established and recognised doesn’t mean we can take things for granted. We want people to love this place as much as we do. The work of several generations, the pride of having inherited these vineyards and transforming them… We’re doing all this to pass it on, in one way or another. Producing wine isn’t just a job. It’s much bigger than that.”

Vineyards

5.5 ha AOC SAINT JOSEPH WHITE. 19 ha AOC SAINT JOSEPH RED, including 6 ha for Les Royes. Planted on hillsides above the village of Châteaubourg. 8 ha AOC CORNAS in three lieux-dits: Champelrose, Les Eygats and La Sabarotte. 1 ha in the AOC CROZES-HERMITAGE and 2.5 ha in the AOC SAINT-PÉRAY. 2.5 IGP Viognier, Marsanne and Syrah, Clay-limestone soils for the Marsanne and Roussanne white varieties. Granite sandstone for the Syrah and limestone for Les Royes.

Cellar

Harvested by hand, sorted and destemmed. Vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Long vatting periods. Ageing in barrels and vats for the Saint Joseph red and white wines and the Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Péray wines. New and nearly new barrels for the Cornas.

Wines

SAINT JOSEPH WHITE • Les Royes: vines over 40 years old. 50% new barrels and 50% barrels previously used for 1 to 2 fills. • Cuvée Domaine: barrels previously used for 1 to 5 fills. • SAINT JOSEPH RED – Les Royes: a wine for laying down from limestone hillsides. 1/3 new barrels, 1/3 barrels previously used for 1 fill and 1/3 barrels previously used for 2 fills. Cuvée Domaine: vats and barrels (20% new barrels, 20% barrels used for 1 fill and 60% barrels used for 2, 3 and 4 fills). • CORNAS • Champelrose: foot of the hillside, originating from very old vines. 10 to 15% new barrels and barrels previously used for 1 to 3 fills • Les Eygats: vines located at an altitude of 250 metres, planted in 1991, east/south-east facing, enjoying an exceptional micro-climate. 50% new barrels and 50% barrels previously used for 1 fill • La Sabarotte: south-east-facing hillside, originating from old vines planted in 1947. 70% new barrels and 30% barrels previously used for 1 fill.