Chêne Bleu “Astralabe” Ventoux Rouge

Appropriately named, the ridiculously enticing and unique “Astralabe” blend (75% Grenache noir, 25% Syrah) from Chêne Bleu is named for the illicit love child, Astralabe, who was born to two medieval theologian scholars: Abélard and his disciple Héloïse. Theirs was a famous, passionate, but tragic romance that got them both separated and fated to live in monasteries apart from each other. They kept their love and committment to each other afire through letters for the rest of their lives. Quite a story, eh? 

Chêne Bleu is a relatively new and extremely exciting winery, built on an ancient estate and vineyard from the Middle Ages. The now-owners are as passionate about their winemaking as old Abélard and Héloïse were about each other. Meticulously made. Small batch. Biodynamically farmed. Every detail matters here; no corner is cut. Everything is done by hand. And the wines show it. Concentrated, graceful, intense, textural, complex… Chêne Bleu doesn’t make more than 600 cases of any of their wines, and with worldwide attention on what they’re producing, you can imagine the bottles aren’t always easy to come by. 

This winery is especially exciting because they have decided to work outside of the complicated French AOC system so that they can more easily make the wines they feel compelled to make. This has earned them the reputation of creating some of the world’s first “Super Rhônes” — like “Super Tuscans,” but French. Proof that even in the midst of the stuffy, structured, rule-driven French wine world, committment and passion can produce something truly special.