Chêne Bleu

The History of the Blue Oak Estate

The Domaine du Chêne Bleu was originally a ninth-century priory surrounded by vineyards. It was formerly known as the Domaine de La Verrière. It was the home of the Knights Templar, before being invested by a glassblower in the 15th century, accompanied by other craftsmen. It then fell into disuse, due to inheritance disputes.

In 1994, the Chêne Bleu estate was spotted by a Frenchman living in London, Xavier Rolet. He fell in love with this unique property, located on a site at altitude, with steep surroundings. Chêne Bleu wines are produced at the family estate of La Verrière, located in the Dentelles de Montmirail, overlooking Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhône Valley, close to the mythical Mont Ventoux.

Xavier Rolet's goal is to produce quality wines, preserving this idyllic setting and applying the most natural farming methods possible.

The Domaine du Chêne Bleu vineyard

The vineyards of the Domaine du Chêne Bleu culminate at an altitude of 550 meters, in the UNESCO biosphere reserve at the foot of Mont Ventoux. At this height, the soil is very poor in topsoil. The vines plunge their roots deep into the ground to find the water and nutrients they need.

The vineyard covers 30 hectares, planted mainly with mature Grenache over 25 years old and even older Syrah, over 40 years old. Other minority grape varieties have been added to the estate over the past ten years. These are traditional Rhone varieties: Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier and Clairette for the white wine, as well as Mourvèdre for making red wine.

The Domaine du Chêne Bleu is conducted in sustainable, organic and biodynamic viticulture. Harvesting is manual and the yield is voluntarily reduced, following a double sorting. The grapes of each plot are vinified separately. The blending is then done, and the wines are stored in Burgundy oak barrels to be aged for two years.

The wines of Domaine du Chêne Bleu

Given the exceptional altitude of the Domaine du Chêne Bleu vineyard, the grapes ripen more slowly than on the plain. The fact that the roots are deeply embedded in the soil also influences the wine. The result is a mineral wine, possessing fresh acidity and a long ageing potential.

Although the Chêne Bleu estate is located at the intersection of four appellations in Provence and the Rhone, the operators decided to classify their wine as IGP vin de pays du Vaucluse. This gives them more leeway to exploit their very specific land.