2021 Chêne Bleu Le Rosé

Description

Blessed with a confluence of natural factors, Chêne Bleu has the benefit of an exceptional location, multifaceted geology, and a southern Rhone climate with soils more typical of the northern Rhone. The remarkable 340-acre estate had functioned as a working vineyard since the Middle Ages but was left untended for the majority of the 20th century, leaving the buildings in ruins. Xavier and Nicole Rolet purchased the property in 1993, enchanted by the secluded location of the vineyard and the history of the ancient monastery on site that had been built nearly 1,000 years ago. A decade of meticulous work was required to restore the priory and nurture the neglected vineyards back to biodynamic health. With time, each small improvement in the vineyard was seen to be rewarded ten-fold with qualitative results. The high-altitude vineyards benefit from warm daytime sun and cool nights allowing a longer, gradual ripening season. Grapes are picked up to five weeks later than the surrounding valley floor. The resulting wines embody the aromas and flavor of southern Rhone, together with the finesse and elegance of northern Rhone and the aging potential of the region’s finest AOCs.

93  Josh Raynolds for Vinous
“Pale orange-pink. Mineral-tinged red berry, honeydew and pit fruit aromas show excellent clarity, and a suave floral note emerges as the wine opens. Palate-staining peach nectar, raspberry and melon flavors are braced by a spine of juicy acidity. The mineral quality resonates on an impressively persistent finish that features a lingering floral quality and a hint of tarragon.” (June 2021)