Chateau d'Esclans The Beach By Whispering Angel Vin de Provence Rose 2021 (750ml)

“A lightly poised and perfumed rose”  The Wine Enthusiast

 

“A French rose to impress your neighbors…You’ll jump at this” 

Fiona Beckett, The Guardian

 

Chateau d'Esclans

 

The Beach by Whispering Angel

Formerly The Palm by Whispering Angel

 

Vin de Provence Rose 2021

 

The Beach is only a Whisper Away

 

The Provence Rose which is Making Waves.

 

 

The Beach is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah made from grapes which are selected from the best vineyards in the appellation Côteaux d’Aix-en-Provence.

 

Pale pink with green hues both of which are clear & very expressive.  Great aromatic freshness on the nose followed by more subtle, fruity notes on the palate.  The freshness is coupled with exceptional length and roundness.  Crisp and suave finish.

 

Transforming the identity of our iconic rosé, all while preserving our authentic Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence wine, we have been inspired by our planet.  It is only right that with The Beach’s commitment to sustainability, beach preservation, and more, we show the world that the same love and care that goes into each bottle should go into protecting our planet, pink sand beaches and all, for generations to come.

 

The Beach is:

 

Expressive  Refreshing  Playful

 

Aroma:

 

Clear & very expressive with great aromatic freshness on the nose, including aromas of red berries with hints of lime and melon.

 

Palate:

 

Subtle and smooth…shows a balanced acidity and minerality with delicious citrus and red fruit flavours.

 

Finish:

 

Fresh and round with a light and long peach, citrus flare.

 

Our Winemaking Process

 

Harvesting

 

Château d’Esclans’ Harvest takes place each September from sunrise to noon to avoid the heat of the day.  During the Harvest, grapes, at their ripest, are selected, picked and carefully placed in small (10 kilo) crates this size of which is chosen in order to avoid too many grapes at the top crushing grapes at the bottom of the crates.  Caves d’Esclans Whispering Angel and some of Rock Angel’s voluminous quantity of grapes are mechanically harvested at night time to avoid heat of the day as well.

 

Sorting

 

Once the grapes arrive to the cellars, they are sorted manually and then go through optical eye sorting.  All grapes which go into vinification are perfectly de-stemmed and resemble each of the correct physical characteristics dictated by the wine maker including shape, size, color and general condition.  This is verified by an optical eye camera which is programmed to detect whether grapes correspond to the established criteria.  Grapes which do not are rejected.

 

Cooling & Pressing

 

The grapes are then sent through a soft crush mechanism which punctures them in order for the juice inside to flow followed by their entering a heat exchange system which reduces their temperature from what can be as high as 29 degrees c down to 7-8 degrees c.  Temperature reduction ensures that freshness and vivacity are locked in which is key to ensure consistent temperature control making the grapes ready for closed circuit (nitrogen) pressing ensues which produces 3 grades of what is primarily free run juice.  Nitrogen pressing ensures no oxidation is taking place during the pressing process known as an accumulation of details that is carefully planned and monitored.

 

Barrels & Vats

 

Subsequently, depending on which grade of juice the press produces, the wine makers determine which will be used to make barrel fermented (aged) wine or stainless steel fermented wine.  The different grades of juice differ in terms of skin contact which pertains exclusively to the first press while the next two have no skin contact and increase in intensity from one to the next.  The overall affect is clear, clean tannin free juice which gives the wines an agreeable characteristic and taste profile while ensuring that the color is quite pale.

 

Wine Lab

 

Laboratory testing and analysis is conducted throughout the wine making process.  This begins with determining when grapes have achieved optimal maturity.  As the individual juices from corresponding Barrels and Vats are selected and placed into half bottles, the technical team will taste through these unique juices and they will start to form opinions for which wines they should be used to make the new vintage.  The information which comes from this step in the process is noted for referential purposes related to the next step, the Assemblage.

 

Assemblage

 

Next is overseeing the blending for Chateau d’Esclans and Caves d’Esclans wines.  The information that the technical team compiles will be reviewed by the Technical Director and Cellar Master who will collectively form a final determination that will be made relative to that information provided by the technical team.  While there is little variation vintage to vintage, the cepage or percent/ types of different grape varieties that will make up the ultimate blend will differ with each new vintage however the taste profile remains the same.

 

 

Chateau d’Esclans

 

Sacha Lichine, Architect of the Rose Renaissance

 

Chateau d’Esclans, a magical property, is situated in the heart of Provence, northeast of St. Tropez.  With his acquisition of the Château in 2006, Sacha Lichine’s vision was to create the greatest rosés in the world, igniting the “Rosé Renaissance”.  Now in its sixteenth vintage, Château d’Esclans is home to Whispering Angel.

 

Whispering Angel

 

In the Esclans Valley Angels whisper

 

The Worldwide Reference For Provence Rose

 

Whispering Angel is today’s worldwide reference for Provence rosé.  Made from Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle (Vermentino), its pale color is pleasing to the eye and draws one in.  The rewarding taste profile is full and lush while being bone dry with a smooth finish.  A blend of the best free run juices and press juices, fermented and aged in stainless steel with temperature control.

 

Chateau D'Esclans

 

A magical estate in the heart of Provence

 

Château d’Esclans lies in the center of the Department of the Var, where the majority of Provence AOC rosé is produced.  The land was occupied as long as 2500 years ago when it was probably used as a lookout point for intruders sailing into the Gulf of Frejus.  The original château - of which now only the cellar remains - dates back to before the 12th century.  In 1201, Gérard De Villeneuve, part of a wealthy family from Marseille, took ownership of the château and the majority of the surface area of the Vallée d’Esclans that would eventually be sold off in lots.  Two brothers, Sauver Louis Ranque and Francois Alexandre Ranque, were the next to own the château, known then as Terre d’Esclans.

 

In 1875, they sold the property to Joseph Toussaint Caussemille, who manufactured wooden matches near Marseilles.  In 1955, the Perraud family owned the property until 1994.  At that time, it was purchased by a Swedish pension fund that produced a small amount of wine and the remaining grapes were sold to neighboring winemakers.  Sacha Lichine aquired Château d’Esclans in 2006.  Today there are 108 acres (44 ha) of vineyards.  The total property has 659 acres (267 ha).

 

The primary grape grown on the property is Grenache followed by Vermentino.  Other grapes include Cinsault, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Tibouren.  The château is known for its old Grenache vines which produce grapes that offer greater concentration of flavor than do the younger vines.  As the elevation to where the lots are situated increases, so do the age of the vines.  At the highest elevated lot vines are as old as 90 years.