Winemaker Notes
Created by Sacha Lichine following his acquisition of Château d'Esclans in 2006, his vision was to create the greatest rosés in the world igniting the "Rosé Renaissance." Sacha introduced new and innovative winemaking techniques to Provence which revolutionized the styles of rosés being produced from this region. This led to the creation of Whispering Angel, a world class rosé which presents both ease and accessibility making for enjoyment and pleasure.
As Sacha says, "In the Esclans Valley angels whisper. If you drink this wine, you might hear them… If you visit us, you might see them."
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is the real McCoy for this price point. The freshness here is undeniable, as it exudes citrus, rose petals, nectarines, sliced dill and coriander and the signature strawberries and cream. Flavorful and intense on the medium- to full-bodied palate yet so very restrained and elegant. Super-value wine as always. Drink now.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Château d'Esclans Whispering Angel is a lovely Rosé. TASTING NOTES: This wine is pretty, shows excellent fruit, and a smooth touch in the finish. Pair its bright red fruit and lively mineral notes with a light seafood salad. (Tasted: April 19, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Cotes de Provence is an extensive but valuable appellation that includes vineyards bordering the main Provencal appellations. Its sites vary from subalpine hills, which receive the cooling effects of the mountains to the north, to the coastal St-Tropez, a region mainly influenced by the warm Mediterranean sunshine.
Here the focus is on quality rosé, as it defines four fifths of the region’s wines. Following in the rosé footsteps, a lot of new effort is going into the region’s red production as well. A new generation has turned its focus on high quality Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan. Cotes de Provence white wines, which represent a miniscule part of the region as far as volume, are nonetheless worthy of consideration and can include any combination of Clairette, Semillon, Ugni Blanc and Vermentino.