Indulge in the world of exquisite rosé wines, where delicate hues meet captivating flavors.
By Paul Kushnera
In this exploration of the finest rosés, we delve into the artistry and craftsmanship that elevate this elegant varietal.
From sun-kissed vineyards to expert vintners, our journey uncovers the nuanced profiles and timeless appeal of rosé wines.
Discover the allure of blush-tinted elixirs that dance on the palate, offering a symphony of notes that range from fruity to floral.
Join us as we navigate the vineyards, uncork the stories, and celebrate the allure of these cherished pink libations.
Château d’Esclans Les Clans
Within the realm of exquisite rosé wines, Château d’Esclans Les Clans emerges as a true gem.
Embodying the epitome of elegance, this rosé offers a sensory journey that encapsulates the essence of Provence.
Its pale, ethereal hue entices the eye, while the palate is graced with layers of red fruit and subtle florals.
Les Clans stands as a testament to the art of rosé, an embodiment of the passion and expertise that define the finest in pink wine craftsmanship.
This rosé enchants the palate with its refreshing crispness and subtle minerality, making it an ideal companion for warm gatherings or leisurely afternoons.
Whispering Angel Rosé
Whispering Angel Rosé is a symphony of flavors that transports the senses to the sun-soaked vineyards of Provence.
Delicate aromas of red berries and white blossoms entice the nose, while the palate revels in notes of ripe peach and citrus.
Its crisp acidity and smooth finish make it a versatile companion for any occasion, from leisurely lunches to glamorous soirées.
Embark on a journey of elegance with Whispering Angel Rosé, where every sip whispers tales of indulgence.
I have always had a deep interest in the restaurant and bar industry. My restaurant experience began in 1997 at the age of 14 as a bus boy. By the time I turned 17 I was serving tables, and by 19 I was bartending/bar managing 6-7 nights a week.
In 2012, after a decade and a half of learning all facets of the industry, I opened my first restaurant/bar. In 2015, a second location followed, the latter being featured on The Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Château d’Esclans in southern France’s Côtes de Provence. (Photo courtesy of the winery)
Bertrand Léon sends free-run juice into 600-liter demi-muids for 11 months, stirring the lees twice a week. That translates into an undercurrent of richness to the already-rich piecrust and grapefruit-pith flavors. The intensity of its flavors should gain more clarity with time, and the wine has the structure to age.
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Château d’Esclans 2021 Côtes de Provence Les Clans
$85
Every week, our editors highlight a wine that intrigued them in our blind panel tastings, expanding on their tasting note in this space. These are entirely editorial choices; there are no paid placements. Subscribers can also access the original tasting note by searching here.
Rosé is an all year round wine, but everyone knows that rosés become more irresistible in summer. So, glasses at the ready for this year’s seasonal round-up of new wines and new vintages.
To repeat a few things I said last year: rosés aren’t only for the aperitif or poolside slots. They often make very good food wines, not least with the sort of dishes you might be having in warm weather – grilled and barbecued fish, seafood, charcuterie, salads, vegetable tarts, chicken dishes, pasta and picnic fare.
All wines need to be kept out of sunlight to avoid spoilage by light strike (does what it says on the tin) but rosés are often more vulnerable, above all when they’re in clear glass bottles. Ideally, we’d have dark, opaque wine glasses, but that’s a step too far.
Pink wines should be served chilled and then kept cold while you make further inroads into the bottle, box or pouch. Wine cooler sleeves kept in the freezer or ice box are invaluable for bottles. Chilling your glass by swirling a couple of ice cubes round it before you start is another good move when the sun is beating down. If your wine does end up too warm, you can always resort to an ice cube lobbed into the liquid itself.
This year I’m kicking off my recommendations with three wines in sustainable packaging. These are all the more relevant and praiseworthy in the context of rosé when so many, especially from Provence, come in absurdly heavy glass bottles.
I’ve given empty bottle weights at the end of each tasting note when I have them – and I can tell you there are some shockers. I’m sorry to say that three of my top-scoring wines are the worst offenders by a long way. If Chanel (yes, that Chanel) can put its Domaine de L’Ile rosé, my other top scoring wine, in a bottle weighing only 409g, others could too. When will they wake up to the harm they’re doing?
After the sustainably packaged trio, the order is in ascending order of price. Two Tavel rosés I really wanted to recommend, Domaine Maby La Forcadière (Yapp Brothers) and Arbousset rosé (Tesco), have fallen by the wayside because they have moved on to 2022 from the 2021 vintage I tasted. I’m sure the new vintages will be worth a try. There’s also a lack of English rosés (my fault).
A score of 93 is equivalent to a gold medal; 89–92 is silver; 85–88 is bronze.
Whispering Angel 2022, Côtes de Provence, France
This was very tight-lipped when I tasted it at the beginning of the year, but has now relaxed into flowing, floral, red fruit and vanilla-patisserie aromas and apricot and red apple on the palate. Lemon, elegantly bitter grapefruit rind and salinity provide and structure and freshness. Another impressive, appealing Whispering Angel. 13%. 596g.
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Widely available at £15.95–£19.99. Half bottles and magnums available from Majestic and Waitrose
Château d’Esclans 2021, Côtes de Provence, France
Scented summer-garden nose with an inviting hint of juniper berry. Rich, pure fruit on the palate with discreet, toasted vanilla and oak, a silky texture and fine acidity. Elegantly shaped and well-balanced. Primarily Grenache and Rolle (Vermentino) vinified in a combination of 600-litre oak barrels and stainless steel. 13.5%. 978g – ouch!
Château d’Esclans Les Clans 2021, Côtes de Provence, France
Mainly free-run juice from 50-plus year old Grenache, Rolle (Vermentino) and Syrah, fermented and aged for 10 months, with bâtonnage, in 600-litre oak barrels (one and two year old). The oak is still quite pronounced on both nose and palate, but not so that it overwhelms the floral, apricot and raspberry fruit, the creamy, close-textured richness, citrus sweetness and core of acidity. It will be better in a year, but is already a serious fine wine when given time to breathe in the glass. A good match for lobster and rich seafood dishes, vitello tonnato and pork ragù with capers. 14%. 975g –ouch again!
Château d’Esclans Garrus 2021, Côtes de Provence, France
I tasted this at 8ºC and 12ºC and then drank it at 12º+C. By all means serve it cooler if you like, but the higher temperature allows this young, tightly wound, oak-fermented and matured rosé to uncoil and express itself. And you’ll want to let it do that because it’s an exceptional wine: reminiscent of white Burgundy in its hazelnut and mineral aromas, buttery taste and silky texture, but with added orange pomander, exotic spice and incense. It’s intense, complex, powerful and balanced with an impeccable interplay of fruit, acidity and oak. Designed to go with food – lobster, salmon, pork, veal, lamb chops, savoury dishes in cream sauce and so on. Drink from now to 2033, if stored in cellar conditions. 14.5%. 979g – and ouch yet again!
ANNIVERSARY 10th PINK DAY festival: you can enjoy pink wines on April 22 at Lauba: a house for people and art (and wine)
PINK DAY Zagreb – a festival dedicated to rosé – celebrates a significant jubilee this year, its tenth edition! At the media conference held in Lauba, the festival program was presented, and the founder and president of the Festival, journalist, editor and publicist Sanja Muzaferija , said on that occasion:
PINK DAY Zagreb, apart from being a rosé festival, is also a kind of dedication to female energy, spring and the beauty of life; the ceremony of a rosy view of a perhaps slightly better world that we all hope for. And rosé is exactly that: bright, fluffy – and the right choice for hot summer days. During the last ten years, the Festival has promoted moderate, feminine consumption of wine, and according to the winemakers themselves, PINK DAY Zagreb significantly helped to change the attitude towards rosé, and thus the Croatian wine list. I am proud that we contributed to rosé as a light and spring wine gaining a completely new and much better reputation than it had before us. Of course, there is also our Green in Pink which celebrates top domestic extra virgin olive oils, and since last year we also have pink gins, tonics, liqueurs, cocktails…
Celebrating the big, jubilee of the “small” boutique festival , which after Vinistra and VinoCom is also the oldest major wine festival in Croatia, PINK DAY prepared this year the richest program so far, and everything started celebratoryly at the press conference – with welcome sparkling wine: Griffin Rosé, Bedekovich Rosé EKO 2017 and Tomšić Evelin, 2021. After the official part, the presentation of the wines of Brdovita Hrvatska was led by the distinguished sommelier Mario Meštrović, who presented 5 pink wines colors of that region: Dvanajšćak Kozol rosé 2022; Winery Puhelek Rosé 2022; Griffin Ivančić Ambassador rosé 2022; Bedekovich Prigora rosé Eko 2021; Vinarija Miklažić Rosé 2021. The president of the association Bregovita Hrvatska, which includes the vineyards of Moslavina, Prigorje and Bilogora, Zagorje and Međimurja, Plešivice and Pokuplje, Josip Tržec, said on that occasion:
Behind the excellent wines of Bregovita Hrvatska are hardworking people, winemakers and their families. Many of them continue the long-standing family tradition, but at the same time explore new ways of modern winemaking. Bregovita Hrvatska offers a variety of wines for every taste and for every occasion. It is characterized by a colorful wealth of varieties, styles and shades of wine. At today’s workshop and at the Festival, it will be possible to taste selected rosé wines and sparkling wines from Bregovita Hrvatska.
The PINK DAY Zagreb celebration continues on Tuesday , April 18 , in the only restaurant in Zagreb with a Michelin star, Noel, where the Chateau d’Esclans rosé wine Masterclass ” Pinks That Made History ” powered by PBZ Card Premium Visa will be held and will be led by Ted Lelekas, Moet Hennessy brand ambassador. Tasting will be from top quality Riedel glasses. Then on April 20 , on the occasion of the jubilee, in the legendary Zagreb restaurant Skenderica 1912 by Catering Lisak – a festive “Dinner in Pink” will be heldwith selected wines from the Festival: Villa Sandi Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato, Rosé Bastiàn, Rizman Rusula and Aura liqueurs.
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)
In addition to the fact that rosé wine is infinitely beautiful and romantic, it is also extremely gastronomic and fashionable. From delicate shades of a frightened nymph’s thigh to juicy rich fuchsia, all options are good in this regard. Let’s take a look at a few specific examples. Chateau d’Esclans and its owner Sacha Lichine are true legends of Cote de Provence. Lichine was the first to declare that the pink category has all the seriousness and began to vinify and age wines in large oak barrels. Take any of his creations as a gift: from the Whispering Angel icon to the serious Les Clans.
