Pumbaa Goess, Author at Chateau d'Esclans

Wednesday Wines – Episode 255 – Ageless Esclans & 2024 Whispering Angel

It was a joy to reenact a Château d’Esclans vertical tasting last week with its founder Sacha Lichine, some eight years after I hosted the same event in New York City with the late Château d’Esclans winemaker Patrick Léon. These stellar rosés have an uncanny ability to age. They do so, not in a linear fashion like, say, a predictable red wine, but in a swirling, convoluted and always surprising manner. After tasting the newly released 2023s, which I reviewed in my Finest Fifty 2024 Report published back in January for members of matthewjukes.com, we dived into some older vintages of Les Clans and Garrus.

I have no images of this event as there are strict rules at Annabel’s private club regarding photography, so I have included a photo taken back in November when I first tasted these wines, as well as a bottle shot of the new 2024 Whispering Angel, whose review also features below.

As a reminder, here is an edited extract from Finest Fifty 2024

2023 Château d’Esclans Les Clans Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France

2023 will go down in Provence rosé history as the vintage when all three ‘Château d’Esclans’ wines hit the high notes simultaneously. The trio of 2023s have only just been released, and I was privileged to taste them with Sacha Lichine in London in November. This tasting further underlined that these are genuinely authentic fine wines that stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s top sparklers, whites and reds. Garrus has long been the grandest rosé on the planet, and I find so much to admire in this wine; it is incredible.

2023 Château d’Esclans Garrus Rosé is firm, bright, crystalline and refined with blonde oak and blanched almond highlights. This level of composure is usually only found in graceful Grand Cru Burgundies. Precision cut, reserved and reluctant to show its full hand this early in its development, this is another cosmic performance from this trailblazing wine. My headliner, Les Clans, shows another level of elegance, coupled with lip-smacking precocity, so while Garrus is one for the cellar, Les Clans is ready to romance from the moment it is released. Near perfect in weight, timbre and balance, this is a glorious wine, and it can perform every duty from complex canapés to main course feasts!

Where Garrus slows the conversation down so one can fully appreciate the constellation of flavours present, Les Clans skips along merrily, making it the definitive ‘rich person’s fast wine’. If you were left to your own devices, I could see Les Clans disappearing at an impressive rate of knots without ever tiring the taste buds or becoming repetitive. Finally, it is extremely exciting to announce that the estate wine, 2023 Château d’Esclans Rosé, has finally – and it has been a bit of a wait – joined its fellows at the top of the tree. For as long as I can remember, this cuvée has been meandering around, searching for a purpose.

Whispering Angel and Rock Angel have bookended this portfolio at the commercial end, and Les Clans and Garrus soared around the stratosphere, leaving ‘Château’ somewhat lost. In 2023, there is so much gravitas and purity that it has gone from also-ran to catwalk-ready in one fell swoop. I would go so far as to say the silhouette of this wine is more Puligny-like than many Pulignys! This is easily the most exciting estate Esclans to date, and it is fabulously open and vibrant with skipping-stone flavours and lashings of joie de vivre. What a trio! 19/20 (Drink now – 2028)

Adding to this tasting note –

2023 Château d’Esclans Rosé looked even more composed and refined than in November, and it was a consummate aperitif wine with stunningly decadent canapés. We tasted through Les Clans 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2017. The 2023 is clearly a thoroughbred; despite its youth, it looked every inch a superstar, as noted above. The 2022 was spicier and more crunch and active on the palate, and I loved the brittle acidity on the finish. 2021 was more expressive, fleshy, and main course shaped. It was just starting to hit its peak!

The 2020 was a wickedly delicious wine with stunning balance and completeness. I have always adored this vintage.

The 2017 was tiring a touch, but it shows that at eight years old, there is still energy in the tank. Remarkable.

We then repeated the same vintages with Garrus and as you might expect, the flavours were bolder, fuller and more dashing!

The 2023 is a masterful creation, but it is tense and coiled! The 2022 looked ravishing. I have always had a soft spot for this awesome wine, and it is just starting to show signs of softening. That said, it is possible to bathe in its glory already, as long as you have the right food in front of you (we enjoyed roast chicken).

2021 showed more crystalline traits with lashing so juicy fruit, straight-jacketed by thrilling acidity. Drinking, but with so much class and tension, this will run and run.

The 2020 was typically silky and beautiful – an haute couture vintage – and it is drinking well now and will continue for a good few years to come.

The 2017 is an event horizon wine! It was a challenging vintage and a triumphant result. Drinking beautifully, with incredible grace and kaleidoscopic complexity, it underlines that this collection of rosé wines is the most age-worthy and delicious in the wine world, and they deserve a place in the very finest cellars on earth.

2024 Whispering Angel Rosé, Caves d’Esclans, Sacha Lichine, Côtes de Provence, France

As I talked with Sacha, he let me into a secret. He thinks 2024 is one of the finest vintages he has ever seen in Provence. And, if this wine is anything to go by, he is right. This is a seamless, languid, soothing Whispering Angel with terrific balance and immediate appeal. Sometimes, this wine takes a couple of months to get into its stride. Sometimes, it misses summer altogether, falling into equilibrium in time for turkey at Christmas, although I suspect no one notices or even cares! In 2024, it is impeccable from the off. This is justifiably the most famous / best value rosé in the world and if anyone still thinks otherwise, one sip of this beguilingly lip-smacking wine will change their minds – Chapeau!

There are many suppliers of all these wines in the UK, including countless retailers for Whispering Angel, so you are likely to find it everywhere given that 10m bottles are produced, but the Estate wines can be found from Vinatis, Selfridges, Fine Wine Direct, Hedonism Wines, Vinvm, ND John, Millesima, Jeroboams and Harrods.

Sacha Lichine on premium rosé: ‘We’re not trying to change the world. We’re trying to get the word out’

By Sophie Arundel

If you think rosé, you might think of magnums being poured from height into peoples mouths at La Folie Douce, or endless glasses poured along the Riviera by those wanting a quick route to tipsiness under the Mediterranean sun. It’s not exactly a category steeped in the reverence afforded to Burgundy or Bordeaux. But one producer that has undeniably reshaped perceptions is Château d’Esclans—the house behind Whispering Angel. Whether you love it or not, there’s no denying its cultural impact.

On Friday 7 March, an intimate lunch at Annabel’s in Mayfair (because where else?) set the stage for a deeper dive into Château d’Esclans’ premium rosé offering. The table, filled with pastel-hued flowers mirroring the soft pink hues of the Garrus 2024 and Les Clans 2024 vintages, framed a discussion around where rosé fits in the fine wine world.

A different approach to premium Rosé

At the lunch, Lichine was clear about his intentions: “We’re not trying to change the world. We’re trying to get the word out.” Rather than waging a campaign to convince sceptics that rosé is a “serious” wine, the goal is simply to offer premium rosé in a premium setting. Fine dining restaurants, Michelin-starred establishments, and collectors’ cellars—places where traditionally only white and red have had a seat at the table.

The UK has driven fine wine trends for centuries. As Lichine noted, “If it wasn’t for the UK, there wouldn’t be a fine wine market.” Whether UK drinkers will embrace premium rosé in the same way remains to be seen. But with bottles of Garrus and Les Clans appearing in more high-end settings, it’s clear that Château d’Esclans has already succeeded in making it an option.

The wines: Beyond the beach club

Esteemed wine author Jane Anson has described Les Clans as a “serious wine that still has the fresh lightness of touch of a perfect summer rosé,” and the tasting notes back that up.

Garrus is often likened to an elegant white Burgundy. Made primarily from nearly century-old, low-yielding Grenache vines, it is the most complex expression of Côtes de Provence rosé. Comprising 90% free-run juice, the wine is vinified in 600-litre temperature-controlled oak barrels, undergoing bâtonnage twice weekly over an eleven-month period to build structure and depth.

Les Clans, the sibling to Garrus, offers a more structured take on rosé, balancing its fresh, summer-ready minerality with a rich, satiny texture. Made from old-vine Grenache and Rolle, it undergoes ten months of ageing in new and second-year demi-muids, developing woody, vanilla, and fresh fruit notes alongside a saline finish.

With over 10 million bottles of Whispering Angel sold annually, the brand has undoubtedly dominated the rosé space. But while the name has become ubiquitous, Château d’Esclans’ top cuvées are designed to show that rosé doesn’t have to be an afterthought on a fine dining wine list.

Innovation in winemaking

Château d’Esclans has pioneered technological advancements in rosé production. As Sacha Lichine himself put it, “You wouldn’t be able to make rosé like this if it wasn’t for the technology.”

Rosé is deceptively difficult to produce well, particularly when the goal is to achieve a Burgundian level of complexity while working with diverse terroirs. The process begins with carefully picked and sorted grapes, which are cooled and pressed before entering a sophisticated temperature-control system. Here, a double-layered stainless steel heat exchange system rapidly drops the temperature from around 25°C to 7-8°C, preserving freshness and aromatic intensity.

The next step, a closed-loop press system using inert nitrogen gas, prevents oxidation while enhancing the wine’s clarity and purity. The resulting free-run juice undergoes degumming, allowing unwanted solids to settle before fermentation. The end result? A clean, precise rosé with a pale, elegant hue and a depth that challenges preconceptions.

The Most Wanted Rosés of 2025

By Nat Sellers

© Foxys Forest Manufacture / Shutterstock | Pretty, pink and ever so delicate, the world lauds the palest of rosés, but is there a quench for something else?

The world has been seemingly irreversibly shaken over the course of the last six weeks, it’s hard to keep up with manic stream of news coming from certain corners of the world.

So in contrast to those brewing storm clouds, we’re going to give you a rainbow – one of a single hue, mind you – but in these dark times, can there be a more joyous color than pink? The color of springtime, cherry blossom and, of course, rosé wine.

So when it comes to this year’s most wanted rosé, we have all the shades of pink from the palest sun-bleached seashell to deep peony.

The former generally the domain of the dry, steely, delicate-hint-of-peach wines of Provençe, the latter the red berry fruit-bombs of the southern Mediterranean.

The Provençal-style expressions are the ones that have been elevated – through the likes of Château d’Esclans’ Whispering Angel and former power couple Brangelina’s Château Miraval – into lofty tokens of refinement.

Conversely, the wild strawberry and Florida sunset shades of Spain, Portugal and Italy are – by simple kneejerk comparison – somewhat downgraded as the cheap, party option, the poor relation to the epicurean delights of Southern France.

However, does that stack up when it comes to what people really want?

When it comes to this year’s most wanted rosé, leading the charge is, of course, that pink-winged behemoth of a seraph, Whispering Angel. Beloved by the stars from the Beckhams, to Lady Gaga to Jeremy Clarkson – who managed to insult the city of Liverpool over the stuff – Whispering Angel has long held pole position. Pleasingly, despite all of its fancy associations, it’s also very affordable at $24.

… number nine gives it a good go, with the return of Château d’Esclans and their Garrus rosé. Roaring in with a critic score of 92 points and a price-point of $138.

All-You-Can-Eat Sushi In London

By Kiera Chapman

A self-service sushi bar? *Count us in.*

Sushi lovers, roll up. Whether you’re a maki fan, a sashimi enthusiast, or just here for the endless nigiri, the capital has a great selection of Japanese restaurants where you can eat to your heart’s content – at an affordable price too. So, if you’re ready to soy-prise your taste buds and put your appetite to the ultimate test, let’s dive into the best all-you-can-eat sushi London has to offer.

CLAP London

Location: 12-14 Basil Street, SW3 1AJ
Best for: a lively brunch with a resident DJ

This bottomless brunch deserves a round of applause – quite literally. At CLAP London, the stylish restaurant blends unlimited Japanese indulgence with high-energy beats and free-flowing drinks in the heart of Knightsbridge. From midday to 3pm every weekend, guests can dive into a lavish spread for £65 per person, starting with an unlimited self-service sushi bar stocked with sashimi, nigiri, signature salads, and expertly crafted sushi.

Diners can then move on to an exquisite main course, before finishing with a refined selection of sharing-style desserts. And for those who like their brunch with a little extra buzz, free-flowing drinks are available from £30 per person, including prosecco, Whispering Angel rosé, and wines, or the premium package (£55 per person), which upgrades the offering to Veuve Clicquot, sake, Aperol spritzes, Nippon sangrias, and bloody marys.

‘The classiest gift I’ve heard of’… (Excerpted Reference)

By Clare Finney

I’m convinced that the same bottle of Whispering Angel and box of Lindor chocolates have been doing the rounds among my friends for two or three years now. It’s not that we don’t like them (what’s not to like?); it’s that they are such easy gifts. Every host saves them for when they’re next a guest, in an unspoken game of Pass the Provençal Rose.

Cocktails à la Palm Royale, Season 2

1970’s Palm Beach-inspired event to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County

By Kelly Henry

Get out your favorite 1970’s Palm Beach outfit. It’s time, once again, for “Cocktails à la Palm Royale, Season 2”
The special event benefits Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County. It’s set inside La Follia, one of Palm Beach’s most breathtaking private estates. Guests can enjoy signature cocktails and live entertainment.

Actress Mindy Cohn is the guest of honor at a special “Palm Royale” benefit.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County / courtesy photo

“We are so grateful for this amazing opportunity and are extremely appreciative to our sponsors and Mindy for making this possible,” says Julia Murphy, Chief Advancement Officer at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County.

The guest of honor is Mindy Cohn, the actress who portrayed Nathalie on the classic series “Facts of Life,” and recently starred as Ann Holiday, in the popular AppleTV series “Palm Royale.”

The show, about Palm Beach high society, stars Cohn, Kristen Wiig, Carol Burnett, Laura Dern, and Ricky Martin. It was renewed for a second season shortly after the first season ended.

The Grand Sponsor is Kenneth C. Griffin. Additional sponsors include The Colony Hotel, Whispering Angel and Kohler. Sponsorship opportunities are still available to make a meaningful commitment to supporting Habitat for Humanity’s mission of building homes for families in need.

Presidents and celebrities have stayed at this stunning hotel, and with a roof top spa, luxe suites, golf courses, fine dining, 300 acres of parkland and a family-friendly welcome, you’ll want to join them!

By Rudding Park, Harrogate

THE LOWDOWN

The 19th-century Grade I-listed Rudding Park nestles in open countryside just three miles south of Harrogate. The Mackaness family has owned it since 1972 and has developed the original country house, within 300 acres of landscaped grounds, into one of the leading hotels and leisure resorts in the UK.

Prestigious guests include former US and Soviet presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev, plus Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Reverend Jesse Jackson and the Fawlty Towers and Monty Python actor John Cleese.

Modern extensions now house 90 rooms and suites, an impressive destination spa with rooftop terrace, three restaurants, a kitchen garden, private cinema, conference and events facilities. Members and visitors can also play golf on two courses, improve their game at the Trackman Driving Range and socialise at the club house. Originally part of the forest of Knaresborough, some of the ancient oaks still grow in the parkland.

THE VIBE

After a stressful commute through Harrogate rush-hour traffic (not helped by temporary roadworks), a sense of calm descended as soon as we drove through Rudding Park’s gates. My husband and I tried to hide our less than pristine vehicle in the furthest corner of the car park, but hotel porter Chris spotted us from his golf buggy and offered us a lift with our luggage to the front door. It’s all part of the service the hotel provides for guests arriving at around 3pm check-in time.

Inside, the warm welcome continued in the airy entrance hall with a real fire flickering in the grate, eye-catching floral displays, comfy snug lounge, bold artwork and cheery reception staff. Reece chatted amiably and showed us to our room, past a rogues’ gallery of former VIP guests and through the striking library with its Insta-friendly hanging egg chair, vibrant statement sofas and armchairs, bookshelves and striped rugs.

SCOFF AND QUAFF

The wine list was impressive, with large glasses of Whispering Angel rosé for £22…

Executives from French winery to join La Goulue’s Feb. 23 food-and-wine event

By M.M. Cloutier

La Goulue executive chef Gwen Le Pape, from left, Chateau d’Esclans’ Alexis Lichine, Jr., La Goulue founder Jean Denoyer, and La Goulue sommelier Xavier To Van Trang.

Palm Beach French bistro La Goulue is hosting a Feb. 23 food-and-wine pairing event spotlighting the southeastern France wine estate that produces the famed Whispering Angel rosé.

For the 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. affair, two special guests are on tap and they hail from Whispering Angel parent Château d’Esclans.

They are Paul Chevalier, the winery’s vice president, and Alexis Lichine, Jr., business-development manager and son of Château d’Esclans’ founder.

The two will offer insights and assist La Goulue sommelier Xavier To Van Trang as he hosts the late-afternoon event at the bistro, 288 S. County Road.

Guests will be served four wine-paired Provence-inspired tasting courses by executive chef Gwen Le Pape.

The menu starts with an amuse bouche of chilled shrimp with garlic mayonnaise and crudité; then, an appetizer featuring stuffed zucchini, yellow squash and tomato with angus beef, tomato sauce and basil.

Braised angus beef stew with olives, preserved lemon and rice pilaf is the main course. For dessert: brioche tart with orange-blossom pastry cream and pearl sugar.

Reservations are required for the event, which is $195 a person, plus tax and gratuity.

For more information, call La Goulue Palm Beach at 561-284-6292 or visit www.lagouluepalmbeach.com.

Good morning. Pass the Whispering Angel. Vacation starts now.

Game 54: Knicks 149, Hawks 148 (OT)

By Jonathan Macri

I’m too spent for bullet points. Recapping the highest scoring game in the NBA this season would take a novella.

If ever a single basketball game was a Rorschach test for an entire season, we saw it last night at Madison Square Garden.

Regardless of what thoughts, hopes, dreams and fears you had about the Knicks going into this game, they bore themselves out over the course of 53 minutes, because 48 certainly wasn’t enough.

If you went into last night believing that the Knicks were a true blue contender, not because they’re able to run roughshod over every opponent, but because they’ve finally figured out ways to win tight games, this game backed you up.

If you went into last night believing that the Knicks were frauds, destined to fail in the biggest moments because they don’t have an adequate defensive backbone and haven’t yet acquired the poise under pressure that a title contender needs, this game backed you up.

If you went into last night believing that Karl-Anthony Towns is the most gifted offensive force to ever don a Knick uniform, and there is no ceiling to how good he can be with the ball in his hands, this game backed you up.

If you went into last night believing that no team employing Karl-Anthony Towns will ever win it all because his deficiencies are just too glaring and they come out at the most inopportune times, this game backed you up.

If you went into last night believing that a win on the second night of a back to back against a feisty Hawks team, no matter how they came by it, would be a fantastic sign entering the All-Star break, this game backed you up.

If you went into last night troubled by New York’s inability to put teams away when they have them down, this game backed you up.

If you thought this team had championship mettle before last night, this game backed you up.

If you thought they had a long way to go before acquiring that rarest of sports commodities, this game backed you up.

If you had your doubts, this game backed you up.

If you’re a believer, this game backed you up.

Truly, there are no wrong answers after an inexplicable and occasionally maddening win that yielded more relief than joy.

This year we are celebrating Valentine’s Day with a fine dining mood and a special “glamour”

By Nelli Kalamara

Aigli Zappeiou welcomes the celebration of love with an exquisite fine dining menu and unique culinary experiences, under the supervision of the renowned team of chefs of the historic restaurant.

Executive Chef Dimos Balopoulos and Executive Sous Chef Giorgos Kirikos have curated an excellent menu that includes exquisite choices such as Red Shrimp Crudo with bisque and citrus, Pandaria with goat cheese, and the signature dish Beef Bourguignon with vegetables and mashed potatoes.

The menu is accompanied by a carefully selected wine pairing that includes exceptional labels: the Chateau d’Esclans 2022, an elegant Grenache-Rolle from Côtes de Provence, the aromatic Saulheim Riesling 2022 ‘Kalkstein’ from the famous Weingut Thorle in Rheinhessen, the exuberant G d’Estournel 2019 Bordeaux Blend, and for the closing, the sweet Samos Nectar 2016, an exquisite Samos Muscat.

The desserts, creations of Head Pastry Chef Alexandros Koniaris , include delicious options such as Pavlova with vanilla cream and fresh fruit and Bitter Chocolate with red fruits and a crunchy fegentine base.

The festive setting is complemented by Executive Bar Manager Dimitris Roussos’ inspired signature cocktail list, with suggestions such as the White Chocolate Martini and the Exotic Highball. The evening begins with a welcome drink of Louis Roederer Brut Collection. Valentine’s Day at Aigli Zappeio offers an unforgettable gastronomic experience in an idyllic setting, overlooking the historic center of Athens.