CHENE BLEU

In 1993, we began the task of restoring a medieval priory and vineyard that had been slumbering quietly for centuries in the beautiful foothills of Mont Ventoux, in the southern Rhône region of Provence. Though several parts of the house date back tothe ninth century, the estate was named La Verrière in 1427, after the glass-blowing workshop established there by Aliot de Montvin. With our passionate commitment to authenticity and quality, and inspired by the natural beauty of our setting, we have dedicated ourselves to restoring the priory and restructuring the estate’s 35 hectare (87 acre) vineyard to the highest international standards. Our guiding principle is to preserve the integrity and history of the estate and its “terroir”, while enhancing its exceptional character. Having been exposed to many different cultures and approaches, and inspired by the Romans’ belief in the value of things shared, we have sought to combine grassroots wisdom with respect for nature, international know-how and avant-garde techniques.

Nicole Rolet

Nicole and her husband Xavier discovered the Chêne Bleu property in the early 1990s – an abandoned medieval priory in the middle of the UNESCO Biosphere in the hills above Gigondas, in which the Rolets saw potential to create world-class wine from the abandoned vineyard. Years of painstaking redevelopment later, Nicole, Xavier and their brother- and sister-in-law Jean-Louis and Benedicte Gallucci, saw their first vintage in 2006 and introduced Chêne Bleu to the market soon after. Truly a family enterprise, Nicole heads up the winery and oversees all facets herself, while the rest of the extended family hand-tends and hand-crafts the wines. In the last few years, she has also set up the Extreme Wine Course, an intensive wine education programme held on the Chêne Bleu property over just six days every year.