HARVEST REPORT 2025 / RAPPORT VENDANGES 2025

In English puis en français.

“Harvest 2025 brought with it some substantial challenges — we were all set to have a bumper crop this year (twice the size of our measly 2024 yields), but pronounced heat and drought in August shrunk the berries (the whites were especially hard hit). Then torrential rain and storms in September resulted in 40% of our entire year’s rainfall that month alone, including 5 days of consecutive rain, which spells Nightmare on Grape Street, as we were at risk of losing much of the quality of the harvest to dilution, and much of the quantity to mildew.

Unlike most other rainy years, we didn’t luck out this time by getting a lot of wind, as we usually do at altitude. In fact, it was also quite warm and the mildew was rearing to run rampant. But thankfully, Josselin, Pierre and the team had done a lot more precautionary leaf thinning than in years past.  We ended up having to assess not just each row, but each individual vine, to ensure only the best grapes were brought in.  This slowed us down but helped us substantially in crucial zones to improve air-flow and dry out the bunches. We also brought in extra hands to thin some other areas. Fortunately the Provençal sun also came to the rescue toward the end. Still, a frustrating loss of yield and concentration. 

Despite the dramatic weather and loss of grape volume, yields were still up 25% compared to our skimpy 2024 harvest, back to historical averages. Josselin, our serious and understated cellar master who, unlike me, is not particularly prone to hyperbole, was “pleased as punch” that his 'precision picking plan' really earned its keep and saved a good part of the day. 

Although the sugars/potential alcohol levels are on the lower side for our top reds, it’s shaping up to be one of our more interesting vintages on record — and our wonderful team of harvesters was one of the best too.” -- Nicole

VENDANGES 2025 :

“La récolte 2025 a été marquée par des défis : nous étions tous prêts à avoir une récolte exceptionnelle cette année (deux fois supérieure à nos maigres rendements de 2024), mais la chaleur et la sécheresse prononcées du mois d'août ont fait rétrécir les baies (les blanches ont été particulièrement touchées). Puis, les pluies torrentielles et les tempêtes de septembre ont représenté 40 % de nos précipitations annuelles pour ce seul mois, avec notamment 5 jours de pluie consécutifs, ce qui a été un véritable cauchemar, car nous risquions de perdre une grande partie de la qualité de la récolte à cause de la dilution, et une grande partie de la quantité à cause du mildiou.

Contrairement à la plupart des autres années pluvieuses, nous n'avons pas eu la chance cette fois-ci d'avoir beaucoup de vent, comme c'est généralement le cas en altitude. En fait, il faisait également assez chaud et le mildiou était sur le point de se propager. Heureusement, Josselin, Pierre et l'équipe avaient pris beaucoup plus de précautions que les années précédentes en éclaircissant les feuilles. Nous avons finalement dû évaluer non seulement chaque rangée, mais aussi chaque pied de vigne individuellement, afin de nous assurer que seuls les meilleurs raisins étaient récoltés. Cela nous a ralentis, mais nous a considérablement aidés dans les zones cruciales à améliorer la circulation de l'air et à sécher les grappes. Nous avons également fait appel à des renforts pour éclaircir certaines autres zones. Heureusement, le soleil provençal est venu à notre secours vers la fin. Malgré tout, nous avons subi une perte frustrante de rendement et de concentration. 

Malgré les conditions météorologiques dramatiques et la perte de volume de raisin, les rendements ont tout de même augmenté de 25 % par rapport à notre maigre récolte de 2024, revenant ainsi à la moyenne historique. Josselin, notre maître de chai sérieux et discret qui, contrairement à moi, n'est pas particulièrement enclin à l'hyperbole, était « ravi » que son « plan de vendange de précision » ait vraiment porté ses fruits et permis de gagner un temps précieux. 

Bien que les niveaux de sucre et d'alcool potentiel soient plutôt bas pour nos meilleurs vins rouges, ce millésime s'annonce comme l'un des plus intéressants jamais enregistrés, et notre merveilleuse équipe de vendangeurs a également été l'une des meilleures.” -- Nicole

Abelard & Héloïse: A Valentines Day Pairing

ABÉLARD et HÉLOÏSE

Abélard et Héloïse forment l'un des couples emblématiques de l'Histoire, célèbres par leur passion amoureuse et leur séparation tragique.

Nous avons choisi d’appeler nos deux grands crus rouges en l'honneur de ce couple et de leur destinée extraordinaire – ils étaient de vraies âmes-sœurs, envers et contre tout, faits de la même étoffe. En avance sur leur temps, ils ont réussi à concilier pensée intellectuelle accompli, sentiments et sensualité. Le caractère ténébreux et complexe de notre assemblage à dominante Grenache semblait digne d'Abélard, tandis que le caractère fruité, intense mais tout en retenue de notre assemblage à dominante Syrah évoquait Héloïse.

Leur Histoire d'Amour

Elle commence au 12ème siècle à Paris quand la belle et intelligente Héloïse, en pleine quête existentielle de Connaissance, est confiée à Pierre Abélard, un philosophe et théologien considéré comme l'un des plus brillants penseurs de son époque (il reste de nos jours un des plus grands philosophes du Moyen-âge). Bien que de 20 ans son aîné, Abélard est captivé par la vivacité d’esprit d'Héloïse et ils tombent très vite amoureux, pris dans la tourmente d’une ardente passion physique et spirituelle.

Le Mariage

Ils se marient en secret par crainte du scandale, mais lorsque l'oncle possessif et tuteur légal d'Héloïse, le Canon Fulbert, découvre leur amour, il les contraint à se séparer. Il ne sait pas encore qu'Héloïse est enceinte d’Astrolabe, un fils, qui nait peu de temps après.

L'Attaque

Entre-temps, Fulbert cherche à protéger la dignité de sa nièce, à anéantir Abélard, certains disent dans le but de garder Héloïse pour lui seul. Inquiète, Héloïse se refugie dans un couvent à Argenteuil. Mais son oncle croit alors qu'Abélard cherche à l’écarter de lui en l’orientant vers une vie écclésiastique. Il envoie alors ses hommes de main châtier Abélard, qui l’attaquent et l’émasculent au milieu de la nuit.

L'humiliation d'Abélard est telle qu'il est contraint à quitter son poste d’enseignant à Notre Dame et les deux époux entrent au couvent.

La Séparation

Pendant près de dix ans ils n'ont plus aucun contact l'un avec l'autre. Héloïse, plaidant pour l’amour et la piété, devient la plus importante abbesse de son temps. Quant à Abélard, il continue ses recherches théologiques, dont quelques-unes lui valent d'être considéré comme un hérétique.

Les Lettres

Abélard et Héloïse rétablissent un contact épistolaire et reprennent leur dialogue intellectuel et amoureux. Il nous reste un échange de lettres passionnées, ou s’expriment leurs songeries et découvertes théologiques autant que leurs sentiments, toujours présents.

L'Héritage

Ils correspondent pendant vingt ans, jusqu'à la mort d'Abélard en 1142. Heureusement, les lettres sont retrouvées et gardées. En 1817, leurs sépulture est déplacée jusqu’au célèbre cimetière du Père Lachaise à Paris; l’histoire dit que l’Impératrice Joséphine, émue par la tragédie de cet amour, en serait à l’origine.

Leur histoire a depuis été contée et racontée, du Roman de la Rose à la poésie de Lamartine, en passant par Alexandre Pope, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain et Cole Porter.

“Quand on parlera de grand homme, on se souviendra de Pierre Abélard” – Héloïse

« O grand homme, o mon époux/ O le plus grand des époux! » Héloïse, en parlant d’Abélard(lettres d’Héloïse)

“Si on se souvient de moi, ce sera parce qu'Héloïse m'aura aimé” – Abélard

« Dieu… ne l’aimez pas comme j’aimais Héloïse, mais comme Héloïse m’a aimé » Abélard, à propos d’Héloïse (Ecrits d’Abélard)

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ABÉLARD and HÉLOÏSE

Abélard and Héloïse are one of the most iconic couples in history, famous for their passionate love and tragic separation.

We have chosen to name our two grands crus reds in honour of this couple and their extraordinary destiny – they were true soul mates, against all odds, made of the same cloth. Ahead of their time, they managed to combine accomplished intellectual thought, feelings and sensuality. The dark and complex character of our Grenache-dominant blend seemed worthy of Abélard, while the fruity, intense but restrained character of our Syrah-dominant blend evoked Héloïse.

Their Love Story

It begins in the 12th century in Paris when the beautiful and intelligent Héloïse, in the midst of an existential quest for Knowledge, is entrusted to Pierre Abélard, a philosopher and theologian considered one of the most brilliant thinkers of his time (he remains today one of the greatest philosophers of the Middle Ages). Although 20 years her senior, Abélard is captivated by Héloïse's lively mind and they quickly fall in love, caught up in the turmoil of an ardent physical and spiritual passion.

The Marriage

They marry in secret for fear of scandal, but when Héloïse's possessive uncle and legal guardian, Canon Fulbert, discovers their love, he forces them to separate. He does not yet know that Héloïse is pregnant with Astrolabe, a son, who is born shortly after.

The Attack

In the meantime, Fulbert seeks to protect his niece's dignity, to destroy Abelard, some say in order to keep Héloïse for himself. Worried, Héloïse takes refuge in a convent in Argenteuil. But her uncle then believes that Abelard is trying to alienate her by directing her towards an ecclesiastical life. He then sends his henchmen to punish Abelard, who attack and emasculate him in the middle of the night.

Abelard's humiliation is such that he is forced to leave his teaching position at Notre Dame and the two spouses enter the convent.

The Separation

For nearly ten years they have no contact with each other. Héloïse, pleading for love and piety, becomes the most important abbess of her time. As for Abelard, he continued his theological research, some of which led to him being considered a heretic.

The Letters

Abelard and Héloïse reestablished contact by letter and resumed their intellectual and loving dialogue. We have an exchange of passionate letters, in which their theological musings and discoveries were expressed as much as their feelings, which were still present.

The Legacy

They corresponded for twenty years, until Abelard's death in 1142. Fortunately, the letters were found and preserved. In 1817, their tomb was moved to the famous Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris; history says that the Empress Joséphine, moved by the tragedy of this love, was at the origin of it.

Their story has since been told and retold, from the Roman de la Rose to the poetry of Lamartine, via Alexander Pope, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain and Cole Porter.

“When we speak of a great man, we will remember Pierre Abelard” – Héloïse

“O great man, O my husband/ O the greatest of husbands!” Héloïse, speaking of Abelard (letters of Héloïse)

“If I am remembered, it will be because Héloïse loved me” – Abelard

“God… do not love him as I loved Héloïse, but as Héloïse loved me” Abelard, about Héloïse (Writings of Abelard)

Forbes - A Medieval Love Story

Forbes article by Lana Bortolot Feb 14, 2024

How a couple’s labor of love turned an abandoned monastery into a regenerative wine farm

Nicole and Xavier Rolet don’t need to wait until Valentine’s Day to tell their particular love story: For them, it’s a year-round affair—with history, a piece of Provence and the project that would define their lives.

The couple—she is American and he grew up in France—met in 1994 and dated trans-Atlantically for three years before marrying and ending up in France. As newlyweds, their first project together was not picking out a house, but restoring one. And not just any house, but an ancient monastery in the Vaucluse region of Provence.

Xavier, former CEO of the London Stock Exchange, had fallen in love with the property when he saw the photo in a real estate agent’s office. “It had been abandoned a long time; it had no roof, and just a few chunks of walls,” he recalled.

Nonetheless, he acquired it in 1994 just before meeting Nicole. When he showed her pictures of the site, she was both under- and overwhelmed at the thought of committing to someone who had just committed his life to such a project.

“[It was a] complete and utter ruin of a house and a vineyard in the middle of nowhere on top of some mountain that no one had ever heard of (yet),” she said. “I panicked and thought of running for the hills. The plot twist is how I ended it up completely smitten with our family project, trading my urban life in finance for the remote countryside and winemaking.” They got married amidst the mud and the scaffolding on the ruins of the ancient priory.

The property lies in the shadow of Mont Ventoux, at 6,270 feet, the highest mountain in the region and which has been nicknamed the "Beast of Provence.” Local historians, Nicole said, have pieced together a site history dating to the 9th century. The priory was named La Regardette (“The Lookout”) and was a grape-growing dependency of the nearby Abbaye de Prebayon (abandoned in 1228 and now in ruins). In 1427, it was rechristened La Verrière when Aliot de Montvin, a nobleman who was also a noted artisan glassblower, established his workshop there and changed the name to the French term for a glass blowing workshop—the name still in use today by the Rolets.

Though generations of a local family passed down the estate, in the end, they were unable to keep it up. It was put up for sale in a state of disrepair.

Enter the Rolets. They set on a 12-year project to restore the property, building Chêne Bleu, the winery, and renovating the former priory into La Verrière, an eco-luxury guest house, assisted by family members who were expert in medieval restoration and Renaissance frescoes, and winemaking. Vines had already been established in the region since the Middle Ages and the Rolets saw the opportunity to restore that heritage, as well. They established the Chêne Bleu brand in 2006 and produced their first wine a few years later from regional grapes.

“The wines are a reflection of all the work in the winery,” says Nicole, adding the rose, in particular, with its structure and complexity, “goes off the beaten path of the roses you find in [southern] Provence. From the get go, Chêne Bleu wines were not intended to be porch pounders.”

Today, the estate is not only a modern winery—what Nicole calls “a winemaker’s winery, built by real winemakers, not consultants”—but a world-class hospitality venue with dining and accommodations, occasionally serving as a place for secret trysts for the rich and famous.

“Everything here is medieval meets modern,” she says.

She has been the spirit behind the branding, using medieval motifs for the wine packaging and to keep the site’s history top of mind. Two of the estate’s wines are named after the famous medieval lovers, Pierre Abélard and Héloïse d'Argenteuil—the French version of Romeo and Juliet—and one can’t help but be reminded of their story while wandering in the house.

The estate is also a local model for regenerative agriculture, a program the Rolets are building through various initiatives. From November to April, a sheep herder comes on site with his flock to naturally graze and fertilize the fields. The Rolets created a wild boar “spa” on site in hopes of attracting the fierce rooters to a place of their own, instead of rooting around in the vines. Due to their efforts, the property attracts hundreds of registered species of butterflies, inspiring a partnership with the university at Avignon to research and help create a property census to survey animal counts, species and activities. Nicole herself has been knighted Chevalier of the Order of Agricultural Merit for ethical practices and social responsibility.

“We try to be as sustainable as possible,” she says, counting 75 acres of vine and 250 acres of sustainable forest under their stewardship. The grapes are organically certified, are bee friendly and Nicole says the winery is the only one in the world to hold the “very demanding Butterfly Mark” from Positive Luxury. Their practice is in sync with the region at large: The winery is within a UNESCO-recognized Biosphere Reserve and the Mont Ventoux AOC was the first to “set its purpose of strong environmental awareness.” And, now to secure that for Chêne Bleu’s future, Nicole is a fellow this year at Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative in a program to further develop a program for regenerative viticulture and “conversion to plant protecting practices.”

“We all should be upping the game, demanding better norms or else we’ll all be toast,” she said.

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New York Times - In Provence, Winemakers Confront Climate Change

Centuries-old varieties are being altered by weather patterns, threatening the economics of businesses in one of the world’s most important regions.

“Chêne Bleu, a small and relatively new family winery on La Verrière, the site of a medieval priory above the village of Crestet, is one of the region’s leaders in developing adaptations for cultivation and processing that are regenerative and organic.

“We’re all going to get whacked by similar weather challenges,” said Nicole Rolet, who inaugurated the winery in 2006 with her husband, Xavier.

In her view, there are two responses to climate change: You can fight it with chemicals and artificial additives that battle nature, she said, or “you can create a balanced functioning of the ecology through biodiversity.”

The natural approach was on display one morning as harvesters slowly inched down the rows of vines, clipping plump purple clusters of Grenache grapes by hand.

Stationary wooden pickets have been replaced by a trellising system that can be adjusted upward as vines grow so that their leaves can be positioned to serve as a natural canopy to shade grapes from a burning sun.

Between the rows, grasses blanket the ground. They are just some of the cover crops that have been planted to help manage erosion, retain water, enrich the soil, capture more carbon and control pests and disease.

Scientists have found that expanding the variety of plants and animals can reduce the impact of shifting climate on crops, highlighting, as one study put it, “the critical role that human decisions play in building agricultural systems resilient to climate change.”

Surrounding Chêne Bleu’s emerald fields are wildflowers, a wide range of plant species and a private forest. There is a bee colony to increase cross-pollination and a grove of bamboo to naturally filter water used in the winery.

Sheep provide the manure for fertilizer. The vineyard also dug a muddy pool — nicknamed the “spa” — for roaming wild boar, to lure them away from the juicy grapes with their own water supply.

The Rolets have teamed up with university researchers to experiment with cultivation practices. And they are compiling a census of animal and plant species, including installing infrared equipment to capture rare creatures like a genet, a catlike animal with a long, ringed tail.

“People are formally and informally doing experimental work, promoting best practices,” Ms. Rolet said, as she sat in a grand dining hall topped by stone archways at the restored priory. “It’s surprisingly hard to do.”

“No one has time or money to take nose off the grindstone to look at what someone is doing on the other side of the world,” she explained.

At the winery, the morning’s harvest is emptied onto a conveyor belt, where workers pick out stray leaves or damaged berries before they are dropped into a gentle balloon press. The golden juice drips down into a tray lined with dry ice, producing vaporous swirls and tendrils. The ice prevents bacterial growth and eats up the oxygen that can ruin the flavor.

Chêne Bleu has several advantages that many neighboring vineyards don’t. Its 75 acres are relatively isolated and located in a Unsesco biosphere reserve, a designation aimed at conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable practices. Because it is situated on a limestone outcropping on the ridge of a tectonic plate, the soil contains ancient seabeds and a rich combination of minerals. And, at 1,600 feet, it is one of the highest vineyards in Provence.

Winegrowers have been increasingly searching for higher altitudes because of cooler nighttime temperatures and shorter periods of intense heat. In Spain’s Catalonia region, the global wine producer Familia Torres has in recent years planted vineyards at 3,000 to 4,000 feet up.

Chêne Bleu has other resources. Mr. Rolet, a successful businessman and former chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, has been able to finance the vineyard’s cutting edge equipment and experiments. A larger marketing budget enables the vineyard to take chances others might not want to risk.

The Rolets, for example, chose to sometimes bypass traditional appellations — legally defined and protected wine-growing areas — to experiment with more varieties for their high-end offerings.”

text extracted from the original New York Times article by Patricia Cohen

Le Monde - Notre sélection de rosés

Rémi Barroux, Stéphane Davet, Laure Gasparotto etOphélie Neiman ont goûté des rosés detoute la France àmoins de 30euros et sélectionné 70bouteilles

Chêne bleu, « Le Rosé », ventoux, 2022 La réputation des vins de ce domaine, niché à quelques kilomètres du mont Ventoux, n’est plus à faire. Ce rosé est au rendez-vous, composé très majoritairement de grenache noir, avec un peu de mourvèdre et une pointe de grenache blanc. Un bouquet aromatique com plexe et ciselé pour un vin très équilibré, charnu et frais tout à la fois. Bio. 23€.

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Seven Fifty Daily - The Science of Grape Co-Fermentation

Researchers and winemakers weigh in on how the centuries-old practice of fermenting white and red grapes together affects a wine’s color, flavor, and texture

‘Nicole Rolet, the CEO of Provence winery Chêne Bleu, argues that even small additions of white grapes have an effect on a red wine’s structure and flavors. “Our Syrah is very similar to that of the northern Rhône. Nice aromas, good tannin and aging potential, but also a bit austere,” she says, hinting at her Syrah, Grenache and Roussanne blend, Héloïse. According to Rolet, co-fermenting Roussanne lends the wine a certain fleshiness and pleasant aromatics. 

Casassa’s research partly corroborates Rolet’s claims: “We found that the dilution effect occurs across the board with additions of [white grapes],” says Casassa. “But this is a dilution effect on color, not on flavor. Flavor is sometimes lifted by these additions, depending upon the variety. Viognier seems to work best, and I suspect this is because of the addition of Viognier’s terpenes to the red ferments.”

Following years of experiments, Rolet found that blending white and red wines after fermentation yielded significantly different results as the white variety’s aromas were “getting lost in the blend”—a claim that this time clashes with Casassa’s research. “We never found that co-fermentation actually results in better liquids than simply blending the finished wines,” says Casassa. “This applies both to red-red or red-white co-ferments … chemically and sensorially, the difference between co-fermenting and blending seems to be relatively minor.”’

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Chêne Bleu à jamais la première winery certifiée Butterfly Mark

PREMIER DOMAINE VITICOLE DE FRANCE CERTIFIÉ BUTTERFLY MARK

Il y a peu le domaine viticole français Chêne Bleu est devenu le premier domaine viticole de France à recevoir la certification Butterfly Mark. Dans la forêt des certifications de tous genres et de tous poils, il faut l'admettre, celle-là n'est pas connue. Pour tout dire, elle ne s'adresse même pas au grand public. De fait, cette certification confirme qu'une entreprise répond aux normes de durabilité les plus élevées sur l'ensemble de la chaîne de valeur. Ici, la chaîne de valeur se situe au-delà du stupre et de la luxure, à la frontière du beau et de l'ultra-beau, bref carrément dans le luxe. Dior Couture, MCM, Tom Ford Beauty, Mirén Paris, Belvedere Pure Vodka, The Macallan, Anya Hindmarch, Clase Azul Mexico, Stephen Webster, La Perla Beauty... pour ne citer que ceux-là, ont tous leur certificat Butterfly Mark. Là où Chêne bleu fait très fort, c‘est qu'il est le tout premier domaine viticole français à décrocher ce label de la quintessence du luxe durable et sustainable. Le promoteur du label, Positive Luxury , via un cadre d'évaluation et des outils de diagnostic de type ESG+ (environnement, social, gouvernance et innovation) totalement exclusif, conçu pour les risques sociaux, environnementaux et matériels spécifiques de l'industrie du luxe, octroie ce label aux marques qui témoignent d'une action tangible pour avoir un impact positif sur la nature et la société, sans recourir à aucun artifice pour atteindre les plus hauts standards de qualité. D'un coup d'un seul, ce domaine du Rhône Sud, dont les seules références connues se retrouvent dans le Financial Times ou le Wall Street Journal et dans quelques mentions honorables dans Decanter ou Wine Spectator s'érige en standard du luxe viticole à la française. C'est carrément à en perdre son vinum.

Et c'est vrai que les ruchers du domaine font aussi des BZZZ de bonheur car la propolis d'abeille est utilisée comme antiseptique naturel dans le vignoble. Dans un autre registre, la bonne dose de bon fumier de moutons et quelques graines de seigle et de sorgho amendent un complexe argilo-humique de grande qualité. Ensuite, les petites infusions de camomille réduisent la transpiration des feuilles de vigne à la chaleur et évitent tous les stress hydriques dus au changement climatique. Enfin, le Spa à sangliers aménagé, avec boue de luxe, dans un recoin abrité du domaine détourne la convoitise du raisin de ces gros animaux. Tout cela et encore bien d'autres font que Chêne Bleu mérite amplement sa Butterfly Mark. Si vous aussi le luxe vous tente, il est à découvrir chez Bacchus And Friends, Place Verte 14b à 5630 Senzeilles ; chez Christ'Al Wine, Rue en Charotte, 8 à 6940 Barvaux (+32475/ 79 68 56) ; ou encore au Tastevin, Rue de Verviers, 8 à 4870 Trooz. Dernier détail, le luxe n'a pas de prix.

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Decanter - Down To Earth

The concept of ‘regenerative viticulture’ goes beyond organic and biodynamic practices, aiming to replenish vineyard soils and even mitigate climate change – producers around the world are increasingly buying into the philosophy

At Chêne Bleu in the Vaucluse in southeast France, Nicole and Xavier Rolet spent years regenerating land around a medieval priory. Nicole feels they ‘kind of wrote the songbook on regenerative viticulture’. They are convinced that healthy bee populations play a key role in the productivity and resilience of vineyard ecosystems, boosting biodiversity by spreading natural yeasts and cross-pollinating plants.‘Microbiomes are credited with transmitting a sense of place to grapes, so if that is important to you in wine, you must allow the ecosystem to flourish,’ she says.

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