XAVIER

Director | Master Beekeeper | Consummate Conservationist

“From the first moment, this place embodied the potential of how a vineyard could flourish in its natural habitat.  To watch it come back to life and thrive has been one of the great joys of my life and I am truly grateful to all the people who have joined me on this journey.”

Both of Xavier and Bénédicte’s parents were in the French military and worked at air force bases, but the happiest moments of his youth were spent in the countryside, where he developed his deep love of the land.   He learned to keep bees as a teenager by helping an elderly neighbor, and his cousins owned and managed the wonderful Domaine Rolet in the Jura.  He patiently saved up by working in international finance and was drawn to purchasing the dilapidated and wild vineyard by spotting the exquisite potential of the terroir that was yearning to be nurtured and revived.

A consummate conservationist, his forward-thinking vision, hard-driving work-ethic and perfectionism have inspired the overarching philosophy that underpins everything here on Planet Chêne Bleu.