Common perception holds that Rosé’s don’t age well. Sometimes common beliefs are totally wrong and in other cases they become foregone conclusions for a good reason. In the case of Rosé’s longevity the truth is not 100% either of those things. Reality is that very few Rosés are built to age well. Some will hang around and be quite tasty for a couple of years but most go south after that. I’m the sort of person who is perfectly content drinking good, dry Rosé in the middle of winter, so I’m a fan. When the opportunity popped up to taste several vintages of Rosé from Chêne Bleu out of both standard bottle and magnum for some vintages over a meal, how could I resist?
Chêne Bleu is a project that began 20 years back. The husband and wife team of Nicole & Xavier Rolet began restoration of a property in the Southern Rhone that had been lying dormant for many, many years. Their work included restitution of the vineyards which are now farmed sustainably as well as the estate house itself. It was a massive undertaking and took years from start to fruition of their first vintage. They make several other wines such as Viognier, two Red Rhone blends and a White Rhone Blend, but Rosé represents the lion’s share of their production.
The current release is the Chêne Bleu 2012 Rosé. This vintage it was produced from a blend of Grenache (60%), Syrah (35%), and Cinsault (5%). Prior to 2011, they weren’t using Cinsault in this wine yet. The Grenache and Syrah vines utilized have 40 and 30 years of age on them respectively. This wine which was produced using entirely natural methods and finished in screw-cap has a suggested retail price of $28. It’s also available in large format bottles. The Chêne Bleu Rosé has a lovely pale, pink hue, just the sort of color that comes to mind when I daydream about deliciously dry Rosé. This wine has a big nose loaded with gentle red fruit aromas; strawberry and bits of Bing cherry are both in evidence. The palate is gentle and layered with boatloads of flavor. Ref berry flavors dominate with citrus and hints of stone fruit taking part as well. There is crisp acidity and tons of spice such as white pepper and cardamom on a finish that is long and persistent. This wine is absolutely delicious all by itself; however it’s also well suited to pair with a fairly wide array of foods.
A couple things are of particular note having had the chance to taste vintages as far back as the 2007. One is the overriding fact that these wines age well for at least a 5 year period. Another is that the ones poured out of Magnum had some similarities. I found them both to show off a bit more spice and a couple of extra hints of sour fruit on the finish. Unlike the 750 ml bottles, the magnums were finished in cork. Regardless both we quite tasty, but the subtle differences are worth mentioning and looking for if you have a chance to drink them out of different formats
Across the board the Chêne Bleu wines are well made, proportionate offerings that are built to accompany food. Any of them would be welcome on my table at anytime, however I have a special place in my heart for Rosé and now I have a new one to drink regularly. If you love good dry Rosé you should make a special effort to obtain the Chêne Bleu. If for some crazy reason you don’t already love Rosé this could be the wine to turn you. They say every true wine lover eventually falls head over heels for Rose; so why wait, get some Chêne Bleu now.