About this WINE
Chateau d'Esclans
Situated in the cool hills in the heart of Provence, Château d’Esclans has been owned and run by Sacha Lichine since 2006. Along with Patrick Leon (formally the Managing Director of Mouton Rothschild), Sacha set out to craft a world-class brand that aims at producing the greatest rosé on the planet.
This elevated site is most famous for its old-vine Grenache, much of which was planted in the early part of the 20th century. These vines are hand-picked as close to sunrise as possible and blended with equally cared for Vermentino. The top cuvées are then oak aged and capable of aging and improving for years.
Côtes de Provence
Reputedly the source of Louis XIV’s favourite wines, Côtes de Provence lies in the south-east of Provence and overlaps with the Var department. Coteaux Varois is sandwiched between two parts of the Côtes de Provence appellation; the enclaves of Cassis, Bandol and Palette are also nestled between pockets of land to the south and east of Côtes de Provence.
Eighty percent of the appellation’s production is dry rosé wine, distinguished by an inimitable pale-pink colour and elegant flavours. Cinsault and Grenache dominate in the region’s rosés, augmented with the occasional dash of the local, intensely aromatic Tibouren. The AOC regulations stipulate that at least 20 percent of a rosé blend must come from wine made using the saignée (literally, ‘bleeding’) method.
The remaining 20 percent of the region’s production is dedicated 15 percent to red and five percent to white wines. Following the Phylloxera epidemic known as the Great French Wine Blight in the late 1800s, much of Côtes de Provence was replanted with the high-yielding Carignan vine.
Since the late 1990s, a host of new, small, dynamic estates has started to focus on a new-wave style of red wines, characterised by full-fruit ripeness, concentration, and soft tannins and using ameliorateur varieties such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, which are gradually replacing the once ubiquitous Carignan.
Grenache/Garnacha
Grenache (Noir) is widely grown and comes in a variety of styles. Believed to originate in Spain, it was, in the late 20th century, the most widely planted black grape variety in the world. Today it hovers around seventh in the pecking order. It tends to produce very fruity, rich wines that can range quite widely in their level of tannin.
In many regions – most famously the Southern Rhône, where it complements Syrah and Mourvèdre, among other grapes – it adds backbone and colour to blends, but some of the most notable Châteauneuf du Pape producers (such as Château Rayas) make 100 percent Grenache wines. The grape is a component in many wines of the Languedoc (where you’ll also find its lighter-coloured forms, Grenache Gris and Blanc) and is responsible for much southern French rosé – taking the lead in most Provence styles.
Found all over Spain as Garnacha Tinta (spelt Garnaxa in Catalonia), the grape variety is increasingly detailed on wine labels there. Along with Tempranillo, it forms the majority of the blend for Rioja’s reds and has been adopted widely in Navarra, where it produces lighter styles of red and rosado (rosé). It can also be found operating under a pseudonym, Cannonau, in Sardinia.
Beyond Europe, Grenache is widely planted in California and Australia, largely thanks to its ability to operate in high temperatures and without much water. Particularly in the Barossa Valley, there are some extraordinary dry-farmed bush vines, some of which are centuries old and produce wines of startling intensity.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
This is like no other rosé I have ever tasted. Made from 80 year old vines atop a hill top vineyard in Provence. It is unquestionably a serious wine, not a ‘glugger’ but something to sit back and appreciate. The precision and structure to the mineral infused red berry fruit actually gives this a little bit of age worthiness but why wait. Clean and refreshing with subtlety yet intensity of wild strawberry fruit all the while being bolstered by crisp oak notes – not many rosés are capable of taking extended oak ageing but this does it with aplomb. This can genuinely be described as a fine wine and may just be the best rosé in the world.
Peter Newton, Private Account Manager
Wine expected for delivery in mid-July. I have been lucky enough to taste every single release from this estate since Sacha Lichine started his spectacular rosé odyssey nearly a decade ago. I am happy to report that as every year passes d’Esclans manages to lead the field and raise the bar in the elite rosé category. I can report that 2013 Garrus is a near perfect wine – I have awarded it 19/20 in my notes! It costs a bomb but if you love serious, uncompromisingly awesome wines, why get hung up on the price tag. Garrus and its extended family of d’Esclans wines, which includes a remarkably competent everyday rosé called Whispering Angel, are the finest rosés on the planet. Garrus sits at the top of the portfolio and it comes from a block of 80 year old Grenache and Rolle vines. Only a handful of barrels are made each year and I urge you to taste this game-changer.
Matthew Jukes
Wine expected for delivery in mid-July.
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