Polar opposites
This weekend we take a dive into one of the best estates from the North of France- Clau de Nell from Anjou in Loire Valley- and the South of France- Chene Bleu from Vaucluse in Southern Rhone Valley!
Clau de Nell
Domaine Clau de Nell is located in the Loire Valley wine region of Anjou, southeast of Angers and northwest of Saumur, in the village of Ambillou-Château. The vineyards range in age up to 100 years old and are situated on a south-facing knoll. The property consists of 30 contiguous acres, of which 12.4 acres are planted to Cabernet Franc, 11 acres are planted to Chenin Blanc, 4.9 acres to Grolleau and 2.5 acres to Cabernet Sauvignon. The soil is sandstone grit and red flint over tuffeau (the soft limestone of the region). The vineyard is on a slope at an altitude of just 295 feet, 75 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. From the top of the knoll, surrounded by open countryside, the Loire River can be glimpsed in the distance.
These vineyards have been biodynamically cultivated since 2000. Significant financial difficulties and a call for aid from the previous proprietors brought the property to Anne-Claude Leflaive’s attention. In 2006, Anne-Claude and her husband, Christian Jacques, had created a company to help new biodynamic wine growers take advantage of their established commercial network. In order to assist the struggling venture, in 2008 they purchased the domaine, which had not produced any wine for three years due to lack of means. It was a moment of serendipity for the abandoned vineyards and the Leflaive-Jacques family, culminating with the arrival of Sylvain Potin, well-versed in biodynamic viticulture, to be their estate manager. Christian Jacques concludes that, “We have not chosen Clau de Nell, so much as Clau de Nell has chosen us!”
Chene Bleu
Isolated and protected, high in a mountain saddle, Chêne Bleu has its provenance in a unique, four-corner borderland of the département of Vaucluse in the southern Rhône, where the boundaries of Gigondas, Côtes du Ventoux, Côtes du Rhône and Séguret come together. This area is located in the foothills of Mont Ventoux, 1,800 to 2,000 feet above sea level, on the northern slopes of a spectacular limestone outcropping known as the Dentelles de Montmirail. It enjoys an exceptional terroir due to this pristine, remote location and its complex geology, with many exposed strata of rock similar to the Northern Rhone.
The 340-acre estate has existed since the ninth century and was christened “La Verrière,” or “The Glassmaking Workshop,” in 1427 by Aliot de Montvin, an artisan glassblower. The estate is surrounded by forests, hills and valleys in spectacular isolation that, in conjunction with its elevation, create a unique microterroir. In fact, Chêne Bleu is located within the UNESCO-designated Mont Ventoux Biosphere Reserve, a more than 200,000 acres nature preserve with its own microclimate that has been set aside in recognition of its diversity of flora and fauna.
A working vineyard since the Middle Ages, the vines had not been tended during the past 50 years. The vineyard plots are planted on the slopes of the Dentelles and total 87 acres. Chêne Bleu is one of the highest vineyards in the entire region, and this altitude provides essential temperature variations between day and night, allowing the grapes to ripen more slowly and preserving acidity in the cool nights. Harvest can be up to five weeks later than in the valleys below. Being so far south, on the same latitude as Gigondas, there are more than 300 sunny days in the year to ensure the grapes’ physiological ripeness, while the altitude and geology assure acidity and freshness. This results in wines that have the aromas and flavors of the southern Rhône, the finesse of the northern Rhône and the aging potential the region’s finest AOCs.
Xavier and Nicole Rolet purchased the property in 1993, enchanted by the secluded location of the vineyard and the history of the ancient priory that had been built nearly 1,000 years ago. The estate had been abandoned for much of the previous century, and the buildings were in ruins. The Rolets became completely passionate about every aspect of the place and the project, determined to do absolutely everything necessary to bring it to the highest possible world standards. A decade of meticulous work was required to restore the priory and nurture the neglected vineyards back to health.