Domaine de la Combe: Vineyards
As described in my introduction Domaine de la Combe is located near the hamlet of La Pétière, which itself sits right on the banks of the Sèvre as it meanders towards its union with the Maine. This puts it in the commune of St-Fiacre-sur-Maine, just to the northeast of the village of the same name, and close to some of the region’s most iconic domaines, including Château du Coing de Saint-Fiacre and Chéreau-Carré.
The Butte de la Combe, upon which the domaine rests, is a rather gentle hill; on the summit there is orthogneiss, while on the slopes there is gneiss on one side, and schist on the other. The vines of Domaine de la Combe are all located on one side on the gneiss terroir. There are 9 hectares of vines in total, planted entirely to Melon de Bourgogne, of course.
The philosophy adhered to by Pierre-Henri Gadais in the vineyard is entirely organic. He felt this was a realistic option given that the domaine has 9 hectares in a single block; “to be truly organic when you have a very parcellated domaine, with small plots of vines scattered here and there, is very difficult”, says Pierre-Henri.
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