Aliot AOP 2021

The Aliot AOP 2021 is Chêne Bleu's flagship white wine, made at the foot of Mont Ventoux. A reserved wine that initially gives little away on the nose before opening up: persimmon, pear, acacia honey and brioche, followed by cardamom, almonds and vanilla. In the background, notes of candied lemon emerge. In the glass, a deep golden yellow.

The vines grow at 550 metres of altitude on a north-facing site. Daytime sun brings Mediterranean warmth, while the cool nights extend ripening and preserve freshness in the grapes. Surrounding the vines is the Domaine de la Verrière, a 9th-century priory that Xavier and Nicole Rolet have been restoring and farming biodynamically since 1993. Xavier Rolet also keeps bees on the estate as part of this biodynamic approach.

A blend of roughly two-thirds Roussanne, complemented by Grenache Blanc and Marsanne, from vines around 20 years old. The must ferments spontaneously, and the wine matures for eight months in demi-muids. The estate's cellar, carved twelve metres into the rock, works by gravity across four levels without the use of pumps. The cellar is overseen by Jean-Louis Gallucci, advised by Zelma Long and Philippe Cambie, while Claude and Lydia Bourguignon work on the soils.

Balanced, deep, round and delicate. Oily concentration meets remarkable freshness, the yellow fruit takes on floral fragrance from blossom, joined by Mediterranean herbs and spice with an oriental character. A fine minerality carries it all, lending the wine intensity and vibrancy.

The name honours Aliot de Montvin, a nobleman who built a glassworks on the estate in 1427. Nicole Rolet describes the estate's approach as the "haute couture of winemaking": tailor-made, never off the rack.