Vin de Pays du Var The Pale Rosé by Sacha Lichine 2023

As we are in the last stretch of the rosé season, another rosé that I found randomly at one of my wine joints around my hometown : The Pale, dubbed Rosé by Sacha Lichine. It happened to be a Vin de Pays du Var, IGP, a lesser appellation than the prestigious Côtes de Provence or even Côteaux d’Aix en Provence. It’s actually made by Chateau d’Esclans (Whispering Angels and The Palm/the Beach I already reviewed a while back) bought by Sacha Lichine in the mid 2000. The price for this particular wine was $10 here in New Jersey, way cheaper than the famous flagship Whispering Angels by Chateau d’Esclans. So I decided I would taste it. Screw cap, 13% vol.

Super pale pink, leaning towards yellow white with super pale salmon hues.

Nose : crisp and fresh, strawberries, both green and powdery, other red fruits, a hint of mineral.

In mouth : slightly fizzy, a refreshing bitterness then some red fruits. Strawberry is more subdued in mouth than in the nose, some grapefruit freshness, more the ruby type. A mineral finish.

Extremely pleasant wine, not a « great » wine by any means but totally pleasant and I can see myself buy it again furthermore for the price point, $10. There are not many choices at that price point here in the US, or in New Jersey. After tasting I paired it with linguine with lemon and basil.