Who makes it
Domaine La Colombe is a Paccot family domaine based in Féchy, in Vaud's La Côte AOC. Biodynamic methods now cover the vineyards, with Chasselas at the centre of the current range. The domaine also cultivates Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Garanoir and Gamaret among its ten varieties.
The bottles give Chasselas three different roles. Petit Clos Grand Cru is a still wine from a named plot. Bérolon is made through maceration, allowing contact with grape skins to bring tannin into the wine. De Facto is a natural sparkling Chasselas made by the ancestral method, with fermentation continuing after bottling.
Where it grows
Féchy lies in La Côte AOC between Lausanne and Geneva. The winery and most of the family's holdings are in Féchy, while the Petit Clos parcel lies in the neighbouring village of Mont-sur-Rolle.
Petit Clos comes from a separate plot, while the La Côte appellation covers the estate's still wine setting. Chasselas remains the common thread across the still, macerated and sparkling cuvées.
How it is made
The cellar
The Vaud holdings now cover approximately 20 hectares. Grapes are quality sorted while still on the vine, harvested by hand and carried to the press in small open containers. Slow pneumatic pressing and static clarification precede spontaneous fermentation with yeasts carried on the grapes.
Sulphur is not added systematically. After maturation, the domaine may use a measured dose to protect a wine during bottling, with the amount determined by the condition of each wine.
What they make
The current range moves through three Chasselas formats. Petit Clos Grand Cru Chasselas 2021 is a still white from the Petit Clos plot. Bérolon Nature Chasselas 2020 is the macerated white, with skin contact used to extract protective tannins and no sulphur added. De Facto Pet Nat 2023 is a sparkling wine made by the ancestral method.
For De Facto, bottling takes place while fermentation is still underway. The yeasts continue their work without additions, and the naturally released carbon dioxide forms the bubbles.
Wines to try
First bottle
Petit Clos Grand Cru Chasselas 2021 is the bottle to open first. It is a still Chasselas from one named plot in Mont-sur-Rolle, with old vines on a steep clay slope and a Grand Cru designation on the label.