Chêne Bleu

Chêne Bleu is a wine estate above Crestet. Xavier Rolet sought a vineyard protected from chemical viticulture; he, Nicole, Jean-Louis and Bénédicte devoted decades to the project. The winery’s inauguration in 2006 launched the Chêne Bleu name, and the first vintages were released in 2010.

It shunned chemicals, adopted organic and then biodynamic practices, and harvests by hand. The gravity-fed winery uses minimal sulfur, while the team has experimented with French oak vats, concrete and temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. The wines are blended freely, sometimes falling within appellations and sometimes classified as Vin de Pays; its wines include Abélard and Héloïse.