Chene Bleu

The story of Chene Bleu begins in the 9th century, when the Domaine de La Verriere was established as a farming priory for the Abbaye de Prebayon in the rocky foothills of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The property changed hands across the centuries, took its name from a 15th-century noble glassblower, and fell into disrepair before Xavier Rolet, then CEO of the London Stock Exchange, and his wife Nicole Sierra-Rolet purchased it in 1993. They spent more than 12 years restoring both the ancient priory and the vineyards before releasing their first commercial vintage.

The winery takes its name from a massive oak tree on the property that was treated with bouillie bordelaise, a blue-green copper sulphate preparation used in organic viticulture, to protect it during a prolonged drought in 2005. The treatment gave the tree a distinctive blue cast that became the identity of the estate. The original oak fell in a storm in 2020, but the name, and the spirit it represents, endures.

What makes Chene Bleu exceptional from a winemaking perspective is its position within the Southern Rhone. The vineyards sit between 550 and 630 metres above sea level in the Les Dentelles de Montmirail, a dramatic ridge of jagged limestone peaks north of Gigondas. At this altitude, the estate sits within the UNESCO-designated Mont Ventoux Biosphere Reserve and enjoys a microclimate that behaves more like the Northern Rhone than its geographic neighbours. Cool nights allow a longer growing season and bring a freshness and precision to wines from this appellation that is genuinely unusual.

The flagship reds are the Abelard and the Heloise, named after the medieval scholar and his lover in one of history's most famous and tragic romances. Abelard is the red, a blend dominated by Grenache with Syrah and Mourvedre from old vines on the estate's limestone and clay terroirs. It is a wine of genuine complexity and ageing potential, built on the tension between the warmth of the Southern Rhone and the altitude-driven freshness that is Chene Bleu's signature. Astralabe Blanc is the white, blending Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Clairette from the same high-altitude sites, with a richness and aromatic intensity that recalls the great whites of the Northern Rhone.

Briffa Wine Selections is the exclusive importer of Chene Bleu wines in Malta. These are among the most prestigious wines from the Southern Rhone available anywhere on the island. Browse the range and order online.