OUR STORY (IN A NUTSHELL)
“Cult Vaucluse producer with unicorn status, one of the great Rhône producers.”
OUR HISTORY
The ancient stone walls of La Verrière — the winemaking priory that dates back more than a thousand years — had been neglected for decades. The subject of an endless inheritance feud, it had no running water, no electricity, only a big fig tree grew amidst the ruins. With winemaking and love of nature running in his family, Xavier Rolet had set his mind on finding a pristine vineyard in a traditional but special location, protected from the damage of modern chemical viticulture. One fateful day, over thirty years ago, he ventured off the beaten track and stumbled upon this sleeping beauty.
Xavier fell in love and decided to set down roots in this land. An ardent conservationist, he embraced the challenge of bringing this medieval priory and its vineyards back to life. He was joined by his family and together we set out to revive the whole estate and build a world-class winery.
OUR VISION
Great grapes are inspirational: their vines run through your veins; their wine fills your thoughts. In us they bring out the inspired artist, the mad scientist, the tireless advocate, the fearless pioneer: together our family and team strive to produce better tasting wines, that are better for your well-being, and better for the planet. Achieving this elusive mix — wine that meets the highest standards of Grand Crus without relying on toxic-chemicals — is a challenge we have welcomed. Indeed, as guardians of this millennial-old estate, it is our responsibility to offer it a new lease of life, setting it on a sustainable path for the next millennium. We are pleased as punch to be the recipients of numerous awards for our regenerative and sustainable practices.
We are passionate about creating a Medieval-meets-Modern wine hub for the pursuit of excellence in winemaking, promoting wine hospitality, and furthering wine knowledge. The motto on our label, ‘Non mihi, non tibi, sed nobis’ [Not mine, not yours, but ours] reminds us with every bottle how friendships and generosity can blossom when people come together.
OUR PEOPLE
Xavier, Nicole, Jean-Louis and Bénédicte all dedicated several unrelenting decades to this endeavor and welcomed siblings as well as the next generation into the adventure. Along with a passionate and talented team from around the world, each member of this ‘extended family’ plays a vital role in the Chêne Bleu ecosystem.
We will forever be indebted to Bénédicte and Jean-Louis for their tireless dedication and exceptional contribution to setting up the Domaine, the vineyard, the winery and the wines.
OUR BLUE OAK
Our wine was named after Chêne Bleu, the ‘Blue Oak’, a magnificent ancient oak tree that lost its leaves in a drought in 2005 and presided over the vineyard and the priory. Marco Nucera, the internationally famed tree sculptor based in Provence, painted it with bouillie bordelaise [the ‘Bordeaux mixture’ of copper sulphate, traditionally used to protect vines].
The original Blue Oak finally collapsed in 2020 but we found a wonderful reincarnation. It remains a fitting metaphor for our project, where we seek to preserve and protect the essence of the site, while showcasing its exceptional quality and character.
OUR LABEL
Designing the ‘right’ label for a wine is almost as hard as making it! We saw ourselves as pioneers venturing into unchartered wine territory: we needed our own iconography to reflect our endeavor.
The figures in our label symbolize moments in the property’s history, its terroir, its cast of characters, its philosophy, and the literary works that underpin it. And there’s a Humorous Hunt for all ages: five white bunnies* and one black hare are hidden in our label, with a special prize for anyone who hunts them all down….
*6 in labels from the 2016 vintage onwards – every ten years since 2006 we add another bunny.
FURTHER READING
“The most important new project coming out of Europe.”
