Chêne Bleu
New Winery growing on Old Roots in the Rhône
About the winery
Chêne Bleu is cradled in an eagle’s nest way up in the Dentelles de Montmirail in the Southern Rhône, on the same latitude as Châteauneuf-du-Pape but in the mountains above Gigondas; a pristine and secluded mountain saddle untouched by time. The many diverse parcelles are located on a tectonic fault line offering uniquely interesting soils. Characteristically southern sun and strong winds, combined with old vines and low yields, result in intensely concentrated fruit, spices and texture. However, the high altitude and complex mineral soils give the grapes exciting acidity and a pronounced mineral finish. As this unique Southern Rhône-meets-Northern Rhône juxtaposition became apparent to us, we felt it allowed us to aspire to making wines that were both qualitatively and stylistically noteworthy.
Learn more about Chêne Bleu and their facilities at:
Location
Southern Rhône
History & Geography
In the mid-nineties, our family took over a once-important medieval vineyard, a veritable sleeping beauty which had been stuck in an inheritance feud and disregarded for almost 50 years, despite its exceptional potential, because the advent of mechanisation favoured vineyards in the valley by allowing higher yields there. Coaxing out the latent potential, however, required over twelve years of backbreaking vineyard renovation, using the most exacting qualitative practices and coached by some of the best advisors in the world: (in turn, from vineyard to bottle) Claude & Lydia Bourguignon, Philippe Cambie, Zelma Long, Doug Margerum. This allowed us to embark on the transformation of this “diamond in the rough”, and it has been quite thrilling to watch the vineyard recover, then surpass, its original quality.
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