Sacha Lichine and his founding Consulting Oenologist Patrick Léon created a completely new style of rosé that is more reminiscent of a barrel-aged Chardonnay.

Château d’Esclans forms amongst the most impressive building ensemble in the Provençal wine world.

The flagships such as Château d’Esclans, Les Clans and Garrus are produced at the château itself.

A modern winery was built in the village for brands such as Whispering Angel and Rock Angel. The purchased grapes are processed there, while at the château itself only the company’s own grapes are vinified.

The rapid rise is associated with two names: Sacha Lichine, who sold the family château in Bordeaux to put everything on the Provence card. He recognized the potential of rosé as a sophisticated wine early on. He relied entirely on Grenache and was the first to mature the wines in 600 Liter barrels.

This is where the second name comes into play: Patrick Léon, the long-standing Mouton-Rothschild oenologist, was responsible for the vinification at Château d’Esclans from 2006 up until his death in 2018. Today, and since 2011, Léon’s son, Bertrand, serves as the Château’s Technical Director telling me that “I came here for the first time in 2008 with my father, two years after he and Sacha Lichine had started the first experiments with barriques in 2006.It wasn’t about the taste at all: The barrels were the easiest way to get to know all the plots. But we quickly realized that the combination with Grenache in particular works very well.

The same applies to Rolle, which, like Grenache, responds very well to maturation in wood. It has fruit and body, but without a lot of tannin, which is very important. For this reason, he only uses Mourvèdre in very small doses. With Syrah you can increase the expression on the palate, but the aromas are not ideal for rosé. In Les Clans and Garrus, only around 20 percent Rolle and a little Tibouren are used alongside Grenache.

The wooden barrel cellar is fascinating. Each individual barrel is equipped with a mobile cooling device that can be inserted into the barrel via the bunghole if necessary. A futuristic interior view that forms a contrast to the picturesque property with the château and huge old trees.

The winery is in the Var department. “This is France’s department with the highest proportion of forest. Of course, this is an important climate factor and also crucial for our terroir, alongside the soil, which becomes increasingly calcareous the higher you go. He describes Les Clans as “a slightly finer, more feminine wine while Garrus is a little more structured and firm.”

And at around 120 euros, it is also pretty much the most expensive rosé in the world.

In contrast, Whispering Angel is the most famous rosé brand in the world, producing more than 10 million bottles.

Given this volume, the quality is remarkably high and is certainly a key to the rosé phenomenon.

Tasting Note

2023 Château d’Esclans, Garrus, Côtes de Provence AOP

Apricot and tangerine, orange blossom, also lime blossom and chamomile; the wood is evident, but the wine as a whole is so full-bodied that it asserts itself, showing a clayey texture and intense Mediterranean herbal notes.