There was an increase in Burgundy trade as the week went on. Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Bèze 2019, Lucien Le Moine Richebourg 2009 and Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 2017 all seeing activity. Château Léoville Barton 2019 led trade for Bordeaux. Trade for Champagne switched back to Louis Roderer Cristal 2008, while for US wines Screaming Eagle’s The Flight 2019 was in demand just as the Screaming Eagle 2019 was just the day before. Finally, there was also trade for the recently released Almaviva 2020 and Château d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé 2021 also found buyers as summer draws to a close.
Pink Rosés are not the first thing many enthusiasts think of when shopping for a bottle of wine, and many sommeliers believe that high-quality bottles of Rosé are some of the best-kept secrets in the world of wine. These light and refreshing pink wines are great by themselves without food.
Rosé wines are naturally low in tannin, as there is only limited skin contact allowed during the wine-making process. This means that drinking Rosé will not dry out the palette, making it easier to keep enjoying sip after sip!
There are a variety of different styles of Rosé, and sweetness levels can range all the way from bone dry to lusciously sweet. There are many different grapes that can be used to make these pink wines, including Grenache, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, and Syrah.
Sweet Rosés are great for drinking after a meal and are often used as dessert wines. They are usually made using Merlot, Zinfandel, and Moscato grapes which give them a full body and rich sweetness. Sweet Rosés are usually low in acidity, making them great for new wine drinkers.
On the opposite end of the sweetness spectrum, the driest representations of Rosé are crisp and acidic, making them a fantastic option for outdoor parties and summertime enjoyment. Many wine enthusiasts look at dry Rosé as the ultimate warm weather wine without food.
The tasting notes present in Rosés are usually described as fruity, with red fruit like strawberries, cherries, and cranberry often described on the front of the palate. Citrus and melon are also commonly present, making these wines plenty complex by themselves.
Whispering Angel Rosé is one of the top-selling pink wines in the world, and it is also produced in the iconic Provence region. This dry Rosé has developed a reputation for supreme drinkability and superior value compared to many more expensive bottles from the same region.
Chateau d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé 2021 Cotes de Provence
Az illat itt is bátortalan, majd enyhe seprős-krémes jegyek, némi virág, citrus és gyümölcs is érezhető. A korty elegáns, enyhén krémes érzetű, puha tapintású, kerek savakra támaszkodik, inkább a textúráról szól, mint az aromákról. Mértéktartó az intenzitás, és végig az is marad, a hőmérséklet emelkedésével együtt is talán ez a bor gyújtja be legkevésbé az aromákat. Egy kevés fehér őszibarack, citrus, grapefruit, nagyon enyhe sósság, melegedve minimális piros gyümölcs tűnik fel, fanyar zárással. Jó bor, de a nagy név – és a legdrágább bor – nálam a sor végén zárt. 6p- (8700 Ft – Bortársaság)
Château d’Esclans Recognized and Decorated at The Drinks Business Global Rosé Masters 2022
The Chateau d’Esclans team are thrilled to once again have been recognized in the Global Rosé Masters, and with 5 of our wines no less. Judged by an illustrious panel of 7 wine experts, this year including 5 Masters of Wine as well as Master Sommeliers and senior buyers, this competition is globally renowned.
Whispering Angel ’21 and Rock Angel ’20 were awarded Gold medals respectively, while Les Clans ’20 and Garrus ’20 were both celebrated with the ultimate accolade of ‘Master’ – the only two wines in Oaked Dry Rose category to achieve this feat.
Further to that, amongst the 6 wines recognized as The best rosés over £25 for drinking this summer, Rock Angel, Les Clans and Garrus were chosen. Patrick Schmitt explains that this particular list is comprised of the ‘greatest still pink wines on the planet at present’. In a similar fashion, Whispering Angel was also identified amongst The best rosés under £25 for drinking this summer.
Whispering Angel 2021 wins Gold £ 15- £ 20 S till Unoa ked Dry Rosé
Significant production growth for this success story of a pink wine brand has not diminished the quality, or so it seems for Provence’s Whispering Angel, which came out as a class leader, picking up a Gold in this year’s blind tasting. It’s an excellent example of a pale dry rosé, mixing soft ripe fruit with a chalky dry refreshing edge. In terms of flavour profile, there’s white-fleshed peach and pear followed by redcurrant, citrus zest and a delicate herbal edge to bring additional interest to the persistent finish. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
Rock Angel 2020 wins Gold £ 20- £ 30 Oa ked Dry Rosé
From the 147 hectares of vines at the Château d’Esclans estate comes this really delicious, gently oaked rosé wine. Located near the Golfe de Fréjus on stony soils, old Grenache vines deliver. Augmented by Vermentino (Rolle), a traditional variety in Provence (and Corsica) and Cinsault, the wine has a typical pale peach-pink colour. The delicate peach stone and redcurrant aromatics have just a hint of creamy vanilla-bean wood. Mid-weight and just dry, the wine has beautifully defined flavours and a gentle lift of white pepper and allspice. Elegant and well-balanced with very good length, this is a delightful wine for summer (and autumn) drinking on its own or with chicken or pork. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
Les Cl ans wins ‘Ma ster’ accol ade in £ 50- £ 70 Oa ked Dry Rosé
The baby Garrus from Château d’Esclans, called Les Clans, gives a taste of skilfully crafted, barrel-influenced rosé for half the price of the range topper – and therefore, offers brilliant value relative to Garrus, even if it doesn’t quite match the quality. What you get with Les Clans is wonderful ripe yellow stone fruit, along with notes of orange blossom and pear, complemented by cashew nuts and toast, a touch of creaminess, and then some chalky-textured phenolic grip on the finish, giving this a dry, refreshing edge. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
Garrus wins ‘Ma ster’ accol ade in £ 100 + Oa ked Dry Rosé
When it comes to Garrus, the original is still the best. This was the first rosé to be made like a fine white Burgundy or Bordeaux blanc – fermented and aged in a mixture of new and used oak barrels to create a wine with a creamy taste and texture, and the potential to age and develop over time after bottling. It was also the brand that started the category of luxury rosés, as the first non-sparkling pink drink to retail for more than £100 a bottle. And it was the best-performer in the inaugural Global Rosé Masters, and has consistently been the highest-scorer in this competition. The appeal lies in its brilliantly-balanced mix of ripe fruit, fine oak, and freshness. One sip, and the wine gradually unfolds, revealing flavours of peach and pear, pomegranate and pink grapefruit, then orange zest mingling with creamy vanilla and toasted marshmallow. As for the feel of this rosé, there’s a slight richness to the wine, with an oily weight to it, but a bone dry, chalk and citrus finish, which ensures it still serves as a refreshing rosé. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
Terre Blanche fuses the romance of Provence with the sexy ambience of the Côte D’Azur
…and the home of Whispering Angel is just around the corner!
By Bianca London
In an attempt to avoid a divorce mere days after tying the knot, we decided to opt for a shorter European minimoon. Enter: Terre Blanche, a 750(!)-acre eco-luxury property fusing the charm, character, and romance of Provence with the sexy ambience of the Côte D’Azur. The hotel owners pride Terre Blanche as being ‘the ultimate family and baby friendly holiday due to its accessible yet exclusive location, array of food offerings and diverse experiences for all ages’. And they’re not bluffing.
Whilst it may feel in the middle of nowhere, no excursion is too complicated to pull off for the concierge at Terre Blanche. Whether you want to explore the higgledy-piggledy hilltop villages in Pays de Fayence, meet the small local producers, go horse riding or take a helicopter to St Tropez for lunch, no request is too demanding. As a self-proclaimed unofficial Whispering Angel ambassador, I couldn’t leave without making a trip to Chateau d’Esclans – the home of Whispering Angel and the most magical property. We were lucky enough to be treated to a private visit and tasting with the imitable Director of Communications, Thomas Schreckinger, where you’ll learn about Domaines Sacha Lichine’s highly regarded viticulture and wine making practices while taking in the incredible estate, followed by the all-important and very comprehensive tasting of the world-famous pale pink wines. With his acquisition of the Château in 2006, Sacha Lichine’s vision was to create the greatest rosés in the world, igniting the “Rosé Renaissance” – I think it’s safe to say ‘job done’.
Helena Nicklin discovers the new breed of super Provence pinks taking the fine wine world by storm.
By LLM Reporters
When you hear the words ‘fine wine’ how often do you think of rosé? For many years, pink wine was thought of as simple, frivolous and gluggable; something to be drunk only in the summertime and generally by women. Not anymore. Helena Nicklin discovers the new breed of Super Provence pinks taking the fine wine world by storm. The South of France, Provence especially, has done excellent work extolling the virtues of premium rosé wine. Even those who willingly admit they know nothing about grape juice will still pick the palest pink off a shelf because they’ve heard somewhere that ‘pale is best.’ Ten years ago, rosé used to come in all shades of pink from just off water-white to almost red and everything in between with sweetness levels all over the place. Nowadays, while we can still find the classic, off-dry, vibrant pinks of Anjou or the dark red, savoury pinks of Tavel, winemakers elsewhere around the world have been mimicking the pale, dry, saline style of Provence. It became clear that in a pink sea of confusion, Provençal rosé offered a classy dry wine style that consumers could rely on, no matter who produced it.
Why Provence?
Nearly 90% of wine production in Provence is dedicated to rosé and it is home to a research institute for the style, so it’s little wonder that pink wines from here are meant to be taken seriously. A unique combination of soils, terrain, warm weather and the Mistral wind make this part of France ideal for the production of rosé. Down in this part of the world, they tend to be blends of grapes led by Grenache, CInsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre with some Tibouren and Carignan in places.
What makes a premium rosé so good?
A lot of care and attention is put into the winemaking with premium rosé, where each grape variety, often from each vineyard plot, is vinified separately and tasted before blending so the winemakers have a true ‘artist’s palette’ of aromas, flavours and textures to work with. These days, there is also more experimentation with wood use during fermentation and ageing or lees stirring (lees are the dead yeast cells left over from fermentation that when left in contact with the wine, produce a creamy texture). The result is elegantly complex, textural pink wines that are not showy, but pack a punch when it comes to levels upon levels of delicate flavours and texture. The best are fantastic, super versatile, food friendly wines that can be enjoyed all year round.
French Rosé producers to seek out
Chateau D’Esclans
Located just northeast of St. Tropez, Chateau d’Esclans and its owner Sacha Lichine are often credited with starting the ‘Rosé Renaissance’ since Lichine took over the property in 2006. Most will know this producer for its flagship cuvée Whispering Angel, but there are other wines in the range including the famous Rock Angel and Garrus. Esclans put oak fermented, Provençal pink on the map – not for any oaky flavour as such, but for the texture that large oak barrels can bring to the wine. Since then, other winemakers have followed suit and the Provence style has evolved upwards.
Try: Garrus 2020
The original luxury rosé, Garrus was the first ever pink wine to hit three figures. It is considered to be Château d’Esclans’ finest wine, made from a single vineyard that is home to Grenache vines that are nearly 100 year-old. Entirely fermented and aged in new, large French oak barrels, Garrus is famously powerful, yet elegant – exactly what Sacha Lichine set out to do when he decided to make rosé a genuinely fine wine. Think pear tart with pineapple notes, a creamy texture and hint of baking spice on the finish. Find it for £100 from Clos19.com.
Also try: The Pale by Sacha Lichine
A great, accessible introduction to Lichine’s style of elegant, creamy rosé made with grapes hailing from the Var. An easy going pink with notes of white peach and pink grapefruit balancing a crisp salinity, it’s playful and delicious with fantastic label appeal too. Find it for £11.99 mixed six price from Majestic.
Helena Nicklin is an award-winning drinks writer and broadcaster. You can follow her on social media @HelenaSips.
The rise, swell and sweep of the pink wave is one of the most remarkable reversals of fortune the wine world has seen. Why? Because rosé wines struggled to be taken seriously for the longest time.
While rosés and light, translucent red wines have been around for centuries, in the late 18th and early 19th century they started to lose their lustre. The better red winemaking techniques became, the more paler red and pink wines suffered. Next to fuller-coloured reds, they were seen as weaker in every respect: colour, structure, appeal – and seriousness. The fact that some rosé wines were commercially successful, affordable and popular did nothing to improve that image. Just think of Mateus Rosé. While rosés brought joy to many, their popularity and pricing made them easy to dismiss despite historic styles like Tavel, Bandol and Provençal rosé – all from the south of France. Pink was considered frivolous: why would you age or elevate rosé wine? How could something so beautiful to look at be serious? But now its fortunes have changed. Something happened that shifted the way we think about pink wines. The Observatoire Mondial du Rosé’s report notes a “dramatic” rise of 20 percent since 2002. While France, Spain and Italy still dominate rosé production, South Africa has doubled and New Zealand quadrupled their rosé production. They also note that “the average price of rosé sold around the world continues to climb.” The figures for sparkling rosé are no less impressive, but more of that later.
The turning point
Things had changed by the turn of the millennium: viticulture and winemaking had made immense strides. But, as is often the case, it took outsiders to make a difference. In 2006 Franco-American Sacha Lichine bought Château d’Esclans in Provence. Lichine had deep knowledge of the international wine markets: his father, Alexis Lichine, an influential American wine merchant and author had owned Château Prieuré-Lichine in Margaux, Bordeaux. Lichine junior had an uncanny sense of timing and a singular aim: to make Provençal rosé a fine wine and to create a world-famous brand – Whispering Angel. He made 130,000 bottles of his inaugural 2006 vintage. A decade later in 2016 that had grown to three million bottles and output has grown steadily ever since. A sprinkling of Hollywood stardust also helped Provençal rosé. Celebrity couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt bought Château Miraval in Provence in 2008. In 2013 they debuted their 2012 vintage and it became a sell-out. Crucially, both Whispering Angel and Miraval were taken seriously by critics – because they were well made wines.
Provençal pioneers
The combined success of Château d’Esclans and Miraval also turned the spotlight on far more established rosé producers like Domaines Ott. The family had pioneered quality production and their iconic, amphora-shaped rosé bottle had reached cult status among the glitterati on their yachts along the Côte d’Azur – but only niche markets beyond. “My family has been making rosé for more than 120 years now,” says Jean-Francois Ott, general director at Domaines Ott. “The consumer attitude towards rosé has changed significantly. My family has been working tirelessly to raise awareness that rosés can be at the same level as the best white and red wines.” It was Domaines Ott who had perfected that bone-dry, pale elegance that is equated with Provençal rosé today.
“I think that until the 90s, the market for quality rosé was a niche. Today it has expanded significantly, and consumer awareness has increased massively. The real evolution of the category is linked to quality – and that means it is going to last.”
Rosé as a fine wine Domaines Ott always made a point of expressing their different locations: Château de Selle on limestone, Clos Mireille on schist and Château Romassan on chalk, sandstone and marl. For them, rosé always was a wine that expressed site, like the best red and white wines. However, it was Lichine who took the idea much further by introducing the idea of an ultra-premium rosé. Garrus, the top wine at Esclans, is made mainly from a four-hectare high-altitude parcel of 100-year-old Grenache vines called La Garenne. Lichine also clearly segmented his offer: while Whispering Angel is vinified completely in stainless steel, the next wine up is Rock Angel. Thirty percent of it is fermented in individually temperature-controlled 600-litre oak barrels, the next step up, Château d’Esclans in 50 percent oak while both Les Clans and Garrus, the two top wines, are fully fermented in oak, with the proportion of new oak higher for Garrus. Everyone can taste the difference, the increasing concentration and textural complexity. Illustrating this so clearly enabled Lichine to price the wines accordingly – making Garrus the world’s first rosé wine retailing at over £100. This has since been eclipsed by Gérard Bertrand’s Clos du Temple rosé from Languedoc launched in 2018 but Garrus paved the way for rosé to enter the fine wine market and to be taken seriously as such. It created a whole new category of ultra-premium rosés, like Domaines Ott’s ceramic-aged Etoile, launched in 2020 and Miraval’s oak-aged Muse. Another sure sign of rosé’s elevation to fine wine status was evident in 2019 when global luxury powerhouse Moët-Hennessy acquired both a 55 percent stake in Château d’Esclans and bought another Provence property dedicated to rosé production, Château Galoupet.
Pale, paler, palest This spectacular reversal of fortunes has not only meant investment in the region but a re-assessment of pink wines across the board. Supermarket shelves now brim in all shades of rosé – even though the vast majority of them aspire to be as pale as the Provençal market leader. Where once existed the misconception that rosé could not be a serious wine, now the idea prevails that a rosé has to be pale in order to be good quality. This could not be more wrong. Rosé wines in every shade of pink – from barely there to lusciously deep – are thus a playground for explorers. Exciting rosés are now made around the world – all we can tell you is to think and drink pink.
Europe’s classic rosés: France Rosé wines can be made from any red grape. Since rosé wines are made across Europe, from numerous grape varieties, there is a wide spectrum of styles informed by various grape varieties and climates. With 27,219 hectares of vineyards, Provence makes 42 percent of France’s rosé – and 91 percent of Provence production is pink, amounting to more than 150 million bottles.
Provençal rosés are mainly made from Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Tibouren but Carignan, Counoise, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are also used, as are white grapes like Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Rolle. The wines are dry and usually pale, capitalising on vivid citrus flavours. Bandol, an appellation within Provence, allows the same grape varieties but is famous for Mourvèdre, a late-ripening, thick-skinned grape, lending structure, spice and ageing potential. Tavel in the southern Rhône is probably France’s most historic and distinct rosé, an appellation dedicated entirely to rosé. Although tiny at just 904 hectares, it was France’s first appellation for rosé wine, given AOC status in 1936. Ernest Hemingway, for instance, was a big fan. Nine grape varieties are permitted and the wines are full-flavoured and deep-coloured, ideal for the robust, southern French flavours of bouillabaisse or grand aioli. If you have only tried pale rosé, you simply must graduate to this gastronomic, complex style. Another Rhône appellation with significant rosé production is Luberon and over in Languedoc, almost a fifth of the wines made are pink – from numerous varieties and across numerous appellations. The Loire valley also has a rosé track record: Sancerre rosé is made from Pinot Noir and is usually delicate, light and bone-dry. Further downstream, other styles take over, at different sweetness levels: Rosé de Loire, Rosé d’Anjou and Cabernet d’Anjou, are variously made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleau, Pineau d’Aunis, Gamay and Pinot Noir.
The world’s love affair with rosé is set to continue. Two reasons are paramount: rosé is no longer seen as just a summer wine and has year-round appeal. It has also moved on from perceptions of frivolousness and is enjoyed across genders. You only need to look at supermarket shelves, wine bars or restaurant tables: they shimmer in all shades of pink.
The South of France Wine Adventure is a Go — Join us!
Mark your calendars. My friend Pablo Valqui, an experienced tour operator, and I have officially partnered up on our first food-and-wine travel adventure, set for the South of France from May 24 through June 4 next year.
We’ll be spending four days in Provence at the outset — including a day trip up to the gorgeous Ubaye Valley where the Robertsons “settled” 25 years ago — then heading to Languedoc-Roussillon before circling back through the Southern Rhone Valley and wrapping up with two nights in Nice. Highlights follow:
Food and wine: Welcome dinner in the gorgeous gardens of La Table du Pigonnet in the center of Aix-en-Provence (www.hotelpigonnet.com).
Rosé
2020 Caves d’Esclans Whispering Angel Côtes de Provence
Sacha Lichine’s famous Provençal pink, a major player in the world’s 21st century rosé renaissance, never disappoints. The critic James Suckling scored this vintage a 92, touting the grenache, cinsault and vermentino blend’s “very pale apricot-pink color (with) delicate aromas of sliced apple, pink grapefruit, peach, cream and stones (that) follow through to a medium body and crisp acidity. Deliciously creamy and smooth.” Note that Suckling also gave the 2021, which you’re probably seeing more of on the shelves these days, a 92. The gorgeous estate, acquired by Lichine in 2006, is northeast of St. Tropez overlooking La Vallée d’Esclans with the Mediterranean coast just visible in the distance.
Wednesday Wines – Episode 122 – Elite Rosé Special
The final wine in this collection is the finest all-rounder of all. Rock Angel manages to bring freshness and poise to the party while also involving depth, gravitas and considerable length. This balancing act is extremely difficult to achieve as most roses fall into either everyday, forgettable, glugger camp or the wannabe, luxury, foodie camp. So many wines gain bronze medal scores in my notes, making them, to all intents and purposes, vinonymous. I only look for wines of character and credibility, and 2021 Rock Angel is such a soaring success it is incredible. It embodies the Esclans no compromise ethos while stepping up the drama. It also manages to sit in the mid-twenties price zone, which is amazing given the winemaker élan involved here. It is strange how many rosé producers scrap for shelf space for their sub-twenty wines and then release super-cuvées in the fifties, completely forgetting that discerning drinkers want to spoil themselves without going nuts. This is precisely where Rock Angel hangs out, further underlining its aim to give the Whispering Angel crowd a wine to graduate to when the waiter brings your food to the table! Well done, Esclans. I don’t doubt that this is your most refined Rock Angel to date, and having tasted it on many occasions this year already, it never disappoints.
