A New Cuvée from Stéphane Regnault
For his first three single-vineyard cuvées, Stéphane Regnault drew inspiration from his passion for music. Each one is named after a different jazz mode that corresponds to the energy in the wine. Stéphane has also wanted to create a non-vintage blend that would be more accessible, richer, and open right upon release.
In 2018, he finally had the chance to start and created Chromatique – a wine that uses a bit of everything in the cellar to make a harmonious blend. Stéphane explains that the chromatic scale in music is the one which uses all the available notes, and so was a beautiful fit for this wine.
After finishing the final blends for the single-vineyard cuvées in the spring, after the harvest and the young wine has had 10 months or so in stainless steel tanks or barrels, Stéphane tastes through all the new and reserve wine to make a blend that he finds best suited to the spirit of what he wants for Chromatique. Typically there is more emphasis on stainless steel, while the single vineyards are mostly aged in oak barrels. Stéphane says he’s looking for a wine that is accessible, rich, and pleasing, with the unique acidity and tension that runs through every wine he makes.
In 2018, the blend is 24% reserve wine, 38% young wine aged in oak, and 38% young wine aged in stainless steel tanks. The majority of the young wine in 2018 came from the Moulin and Branlard lieux-dits in Oger, but Stéphane insists that this will vary each year. This first Chromatique blend was bottled in July 2019, and left to age on the lees for a minimum of two years, released for the first time in fall 2021.