Chêne Bleu, Abelard, IGP Vaucluse, Rhône, France, 2012 (BIODYNAMIC)(ORGANIC)

Overview of the Wine
Blessed with a confluence of natural factors, Chêne Bleu has the benefit of an exceptional location, multifaceted geology, and a southern Rhone climate with soils more typical of the northern Rhone. The remarkable 340-acre estate had functioned as a working vineyard since the Middle Ages but was left untended for the majority of the 20th century, leaving the buildings in ruins. Xavier and Nicole Rolet purchased the property in 1993, enchanted by the secluded location of the vineyard and the history of the ancient monastery on site that had been built nearly 1,000 years ago. A decade of meticulous work was required to restore the priory and nurture the neglected vineyards back to biodynamic health. With time, each small improvement in the vineyard was seen to be rewarded ten-fold with qualitative results. The high-altitude vineyards benefit from warm daytime sun and cool nights allowing a longer, gradual ripening season. Grapes are picked up to five weeks later than the surrounding valley floor. The resulting wines embody the aromas and flavor of southern Rhone, together with the finesse and elegance of northern Rhone and the aging potential of the region’s finest AOCs.

Grapes/Blend
85% Grenache, 15% Syrah

Origin
Vaucluse, Rhône Valley, France

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Deep, brilliant garnet. Aromas are rich with notes of cloves, licorice and pepper, mixed with plum and cherry aromas. Full-bodied and smooth, fresh with velvety tannins and notes of ripe red fruits. Long aromatic ?nish, with hints of spices and plums.

Enjoy with roast beef, venison, duck and roasted vegetables.

93 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 
A blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah, the 2012 IGP Vaucluse Abelard is nominally the more "masculine" of the two red cuvées. In fact, this vintage, the Abelard is softer and plusher, albeit slightly less complex. Smoky elements frame ripe black cherries on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is ripe and supple, giving way to a velvety feel on the finish.

91 Points - Wine Spectator
Rich and broad in feel, with a lightly roasted edge to the mix of crushed plum, blackberry and raspberry fruit. Garrigue, singed alder and warm stone notes emerge steadily through the still-grippy finish. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2024.

Product size: 750ml