stirring the lees with james molesworth Day 9: On the Dark Side of the Moon Visiting the Southern Rhône's Chêne Bleu Posted: Nov 21, 2011 6:00pm ET Viticulturally speaking, the Rolets’ property at La Verrière is the equivalent of the dark side of the moon. Located on the back side of the Dentelles de Montmirail, its vineyards face north. That, combined with 500 meters and more of elevation, makes it one of the coolest, windiest spots for vines in the Southern Rhône. Here, crop yields are naturally low, and exuberant ripeness plays second fiddle to racy acidity. Despite its proximity to Gigondas (the property’s vines border that appellation, as well as the appellations of Séguret and Beaumes de Venise), the Chêne Bleu wines only earn a modest Vin de Pays de Vaucluse designation, but don’t let that fool you. This was my first visit to this remote property, perched on a knife’s-edge hill behind the town of Le Crestet. My trusty GPS did its job-as did the final words of caution from Nicole Rolet, the estate’s owner, when she gave me directions. « Just stay on the only paved road out of town, and eventually you’ll find us, » she said. Chêne Bleu is a newcomer to the U.S. market; for some brief background, you can reference my introductory blog on them from when I caught up with Rolet in New York earlier this year. The initial releases from the ’06 and ’07 vintages showed unique character, with ripe but sleek profiles and long, suave finishes that let mineral notes hang nicely. The wines showed they were on to something, so I thought I’d check it out first-hand. The estate itself dates back to a 9th century priory that was attached to the monastery in nearby Séguret. It evolved through the centuries into a spot for artisanal glassblowing and silkworm production. Eventually the property went abandoned, though, and while searching for a retreat, Xavier Rolet, whose family has winemaking roots in the Jura, stumbled across the broken-down property at La Verrière. He quickly snapped it up. As the property was being bought back to life, rumors circulated among the locals, who wondered why anyone would want to waste their time with a broken-down estate tucked up on a remote hill. « It was interesting in the beginning, » says Rolet with a laugh. « Rumors were, we were an Arab sheik or Prince Charles or a religious sect or perhaps building a nuclear plant. But eventually as things progressed, we brought more and more people up to see what we had done, and now I think the locals realize it’s not quite so eccentric. Today the 130-hectare estate includes 30 hectares of vines (predominantly Grenache and Syrah, along with Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier). The Rolets started by vinifying small parcels at the co-op in Vaison-la-Romaine as they experimented with their vines, before eventually building their own winery and then releasing their first commercial vintage in 2006. Benedicte Gallucci (Xavier Rolet’s sister-in-law) handles the vineyards; her husband, Jean-Louis, manages the cellar. They’re helped by consulting winemakers Thomas Oui and Philippe Cambie, who have been with the project since ’01. Winemaker Zelma Long has also been a part of the team, among others, as the Rolets have sought advice from all over for their project. « Zelma [Long] was key, because she broke the vineyards down into small parcels, which was important because we had to figure out the blends first, » says Rolet. « And establishing vineyards here is very difficult because there’s basically no topsoil. We lost all of our 2003 plantings. But we’re on a 25-year plan. « And Philippe [Cambie] has been a big part as well, because he really helped us design a winery that correlates to how we have the vineyards broken down. A winery is a big expense, and you can waste a lot of money building something that winds up having lots of toys but isn’t particularly efficient for the way you want to work. » One thing that stands out amidst the vines on the property is their enlarged canopy zone, needed to maximize photosynthesis with the reduced sun exposure. The majority of the vines are also farmed biodynamically, with conversion of the additional parcels underway. The two reds wines go through a long élevage of more than 20 months in barrel. The initial ’06 vintage was aged entirely in new oak, but that percentage has dropped steadily as the winery has built up its own inventory of barrels (a common occurrence with new wineries that don’t want to take the risk of buying used barrels). The ’06s showed a bit of that overt influence, while the ’07s, aged in two-thirds new oak, took a noticeable step forward, with the purity and freshness that are the hallmarks of wines from the area. There will be no ’08 released under the Chêne Bleu label; the wines return in ’09, aged in just one-third new oak. Currently, less than half the crop is kept for the two main wines with the rest sold off, though that could change in the coming years as the Rolets plan to increase production slowly. I found the ’09s here to be on a level with the ’07s. Both cuvées are vinified and aged in the same manner-the only difference being the blends themselves. « We don’t want a first wine and a second wine, » says Benedicte Gallucci. « We are aiming for one feminine and one masculine expression of what the vineyards have to offer. » The 2009 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Abélard, made from 90 percent Grenache and the rest Syrah, is the more stylish of the two. It’s dusty-edged, with rich linzer and plum notes at the core and a gorgeous pain d’épicesnote that stretches through the lengthy finish. The 2009 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Héloïse relies more on Syrah, 65 percent, along with 25 percent Grenache and the rest Viognier. The result is a more powerful wine, with dark currant, fig paste and steeped plum notes framed by anise and graphite and carrying through an equally long but slightly tauter-feeling finish. With the 2010s, the wines really seem to hit their stride, capturing the racy, distinctive acidity of the vintage and sporting gorgeous pure fruit flavors and very long finishes. The 2010 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Abélardsample is an approximation of the final blend, currently 85/15 Grenache and Syrah. It’s very, very racy, with red currant, violet and Damson plum flavors and a long, sleek finish that has superb cut. Even with its more powerful blend of 65 percent Syrah with 25 percent Grenache and the rest Viognier, the 2009 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Héloïse is also long and sleek, though it sports darker fig, blackberry and pastis notes that are succulent and enticing. The graphite-edged finish just sails on and on. Both wines show terrific polish, length and precision and are easily the best wines yet from this emerging new estate. While the reds have quickly become special wines, the whites remain a step behind. The 2009 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse White Aliot is made from a blend of 70 percent Roussanne, 25 percent Grenache Blanc and 5 percent Marsanne. It’s plump, with buttered brioche, macadamia nut and creamed melon flavors that are quite tasty. The 2009 Viognier Vin de Pays de Vaucluse is rather Condrieu- like in style, with lush plantain, melon, peach and anise notes and a creamy textured finish. Both whites are vinified in demi-muid, but without new oak. Both are deliciously plump, but don’t quite show the vivid freshness and cut of the reds, with ever-so- slightly blowsy edges. Nonetheless, this remains one of the most exciting new projects to come along in the southern Rhône since I have been covering the region. As an enormous undertaking in an area that is on the viticultural edge, achievements at La Verrière do not come easily. Kudos to the Rolets for taking the chance, and kudos to their team for helping to make it all happen. .