Domaine de
LA COLOMBETTE
INNOVATIVE AND AT THE FOREFRONT
The history of the Domaine de la Colombette began with the dowry
of a hectare of vineyard given by a young fiancée to Pugibet,
her husband-to-be, in 1890.
Their wines are
innovative and
convivial.
GLOSSARY
Demi-muids
Large 600-litre barrels
PIWI
piWi acronym of the German word “Pilzwiders-
tandsfähig”, literally meaning “capable of resis-
ting mushrooms”.Grape varieties able to resist
diseases of the vine are grouped together
under this term.
While this is a romantic story of the past,
the most outstanding characteristic of
this domaine in more recent years is its
constant innovation. In 1966, François
Pugibet took over the family business and
transformed the property by modernising
its equipment and introducing new farming
techniques. He was the last to harvest
with a horse and the first to harvest with
a machine in the region. A pioneer for
planting Chardonnay in Languedoc, he
was recognised for this audacious move by
the award for the world’s best Chardonnay
in 1995 with his famous wine matured in
demi-muids, which began la Colombette’s
renown.Vincent joined his father on the
estate 20 years ago and works on it today
with his wife Sophie. On his watch, the
vineyard has been enlarged and irrigation
has now been introduced.
Aiming for quality, the Pugibet family
is working to bring more finesse and
freshness to its wines, which explains
why they are developing a technique of
de-alcoholisation. This work led to the
creation of the “Plume” range, with wines
at 9%. They go even further by enabling
non-alcohol drinkers to share convivial
moments around wine by offering a non-
alcoholic range. Always open to new
approaches, today Vincent is enlarging
the domaine by acquiring a property of 30
hectares under organic cultivation. Not
happy about using products like sulphur
or copper to treat the soil, he has launched
himself into the research of new farming
techniques. An agronomist, modern wine
grower and visionary, Vincent has taken
an interest in varieties that are resistant to
the main diseases of the vine, oidium and
42
mildew. After numerous trials and endless
research, 40 hectares of the Domaine de
la Colombette have been planted with
resistant varieties, making this estate a
precursor in Europe today. Their favourite
wine is the “Souvignier Gris Muscaris”,
from one of the resistant varieties with no
chemical treatment, which yields a fresh
and light wine, the result of the innovative
and focused work undertaken over several
years. In addition, Vincent is also president
of the PiWi France association, composed
of researchers, nursery gardeners and
winegrowers that share a passion for the
future. He has just won the innovation
prize for his work on resistant grape
varieties awarded by the Revue de France!
If you go to the sales cellar of la
Colombette, Sophie will explain the
domaine’s environmental approach. Don’t
miss this opportunity to meet them - it’s
fascinating!
ANCIENNE ROUTE DE BÉDARIEUX - 34500 BÉZIERS
04 67 31 05 53 - lacolombette.fr
Domaine la Colombette Pugibet
Winery shop open all year from Monday to Saturday.
AU LAVOIR
Delphine and Louis will be happy to
welcome you to his establishment in
Colombiers. Their wish is that you en-
joy a relaxing and convivial experience
focused on fine dishes and good wine.
Summer as in winter, you can take
advantage of the peaceful ambiance
of the Canal du Midi to savour fresh
produce with a southern accent.
Rue du Lavoir – 34440 Colombiers
04 67 26 16 15 - au-lavoir.com
le Lavoir