ABOUT: Jean-Luc Colombo and his wife Anne Colombo have been directly contributing to the prestige and wellness of wine production throughout France since the 1980’s. They began working as wine consultants and in the late 1980’s acquired their first vineyard of old-vine Syrah in the granite-laced hills above Cornas in the Northern Rhone. More of a farm than a vineyard, their home on the hill is peppered with fruit trees, vegetable gardens, flowering plants, and chickens. The Colombo wines have been universally well received and have since expanded to making wine from vineyards throughout the Rhone and Provence. Their daughter Laure joined the family business in 2010 and has been receiving praise for her contributions to the enterprise. While they’ve always produced wines sustainably, Laure began the process of organic certification in 2012 and acquired ECOCERT certification in 2015. Onward and upward for the Colombo clan. TASTE: Les Collines de Laure translates to “the hills of Laure”, named after daughter Laure, whom is currently at the helm of the Colombo wine making machine. Les Collines de Laure is made from young Syrah vines mostly from Cornas, with some fruit from Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage as well. This wine sees no oak and is bottled within a year of harvest. Read what the shelf-talker from Wine Enthusiast has to say. “Notes of char and leather accent spicy licorice and cassis in this smoky but bright-fruited Syrah. While delicate in concentration, its blackberry and cherry flavors are brisk and cutting. The finish meanders on veins of graphite and dried garrigue. At peak now–2024.” PAIR: Veggie white bean and sweet potato chili, grilled mushroom skewers with red chili sauce, spicy grilled eggplant with red peppers, and black bean enchilada cassoulet.
