Chêne Bleu - Le Rose 2023

Located on the same latitude as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and nestled in the hills of Les Dentelles de Montmirail, Chêne Bleu has the highest elevation in the region at 550-630 meters. The resulting cool nights and late harvest bring desirable ‘Northern Rhône-style' freshness to the Southern Rhône's rich concentration of fruit and tannin.

Xavier and Nicole Rolet purchased the property in 1993, enchanted by the secluded location of the vineyard and the history of the ancient priory that had been built nearly 1,000 years ago. The estate had been abandoned for much of the previous century, and the buildings were in ruins. The Rolets became completely passionate about every aspect of the place and the project, determined to do absolutely everything necessary to bring it to the highest possible world standards. A decade of meticulous work was required to restore the priory and nurture the neglected vineyards back to health.

With time, each small improvement in the vineyard was seen to be rewarded ten-fold with qualitative results, and expert advisors became extremely excited about the potential for the estate to produce premier cru-calibre wines. The project evolved into a full-fledged winemaking endeavor that entailed reviving and replanting the vineyards, building a state-of-the-art multi-level winery and converting to biodynamic viticulture. Fortunately, much of Xavier’s family was involved in winemaking, and his sister Bénédicte Gallucci and brother-in-law Jean-Louis Gallucci joined the team as Viticulturist and Winemaker, respectively. Encouraged by some of the top oenological talent in the world, Chêne Bleu released its first vintage in 2006.

Situated near the crossroads of four southern Rhône appellations — Gigondas, Côtes du Ventoux, Côtes du Rhône and Séguret — the vineyards at Chêne Bleu are planted on the slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail with varied exposures. A total of 35 hectares (87 acres) have been planted and reclaimed. The original vineyards had been neglected for many years, with gnarly, tough old vines 30 to 45 years old that were both a blessing and a burden, requiring retraining and individual evaluation vine by vine. Their toughness makes them able to withstand extreme conditions, with deep roots (extending as much as 300 feet into the rocky slopes) that sustain the vines in years of drought and during heat spikes.

Direct press method with skin contact at time of pressing for 1.5 hours; very cold fermentation for 5 weeks, 75% in stainless-steel tanks, 25% in French oak barrels.

Producer: Chêne Bleu

Country: France

Region: Rhône

Varietal:  Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Rolle

Appellation: Vaucluse

Vintage: 2023

Size: 750ml