Stéphane Rocher 'Les Pierres Bleues'

Stéphane Rocher is living the dream! Well, the one I have on a regular basis - selling everything and moving out of the city to have a farm with vineyards where I can make wine & grow my own food. Friends will come over for long weekends full of wine and great food - of course, there will be dogs running about and probably some late-night shenanigans. Oh WAIT!! That’s my dream….
Well the truth is, Stéphane took a winemaking class and it became his dream too. And then he did it! So viola - it is possible!!

Anyway, 16-or so years later, Stéphane Rocher works 6.5 hectares (that’s about 16 acres!!) of vines surrounded by even more land. Stéphane's passion is maintaining and preserving the ecosystem and biodiversity of our planet which includes his property so he follows biodynamic principles. He also likes to make really good wine that is terroir forward, completely natural and not “funky”. And he loves to laugh, constantly ask a twinkle in his eye and I adore him!

Without too much more comment on these biodynamic principles (you can read my thoughts on biodynamics etc. here), it can simply be said that the vines grow without chemical sprays, etc.. All grapes are hand-harvested with careful selection for the bunches. There are zero inputs (additions) or sulfur added. The wines produced are of course, natural and DELICIOUS!, Aromatic, accessible and balanced wines from this magical part of the Loire guided by Stéphane!

The Les Pierres Bleues comes from 75+ year-old Chenin Blanc vines that grow in blue basalt & sandy soils! The resulting juice is raised in sandstone jars then bottled to await our glasses and palates!

And truthfully, this is a really great Chenin Blanc! Stone fruits with a citrus acidity balance and toasty tannic structure. Classic Chenin hints of honey, salinity & bitter almond vibes with the long finish showcases the age of these gorgeous vines!

Perfect for sipping without food - possibly even better with either the cheese course or spicy shrimp tacos!!