Whispering Angel Rosé, Provence

This is the wine that has changed more drinking habits than the Pioneer movement. It is a wine that is made by Chateau d'Esclans in Provence from Grenache, Vermentino and Cinsault. We could go on and talk about the history and terroir (and we will) but the thing you probably want to know is, is it worth the hype? To borrow from a Danish brewer: prob...

It's a very good wine. Dry and firm and very well made: lees aging, battonage and some very fine old Grenache in the blend make for a richly textured wine with a smooth and mouth-coating sensation, with raspberry and citrus flavours on a clean and dry finish. It's very comparable to many other Rosés from Provence, but it is, most of the time, in our opinion... better.

The Esclans estate is actually really old and has a serious pedigree. Now, not all of the grapes for Whispering Angel come from the home turf, there are contracts with local vineyards and winemakers who supply good to the Esclans estate, but the intention is still site-focused.

The region is ancient as a whole, but this particular property has Gaul-era heritage and a cellar that dates to the very start of the 13th Century, it has grown grapes for centuries and was only making a small amount of wine when Sacha Lichine bought the estate in 2006. This, then is the turning point - the wine ha made had a purpose: to become the most expensive wine Provence has ever made and to sell more Rosé than had ever been done before.

The wine world is essentially split: those who say "what a fantastic development to see Rosé become popular for year round drinking - thank goodness for flagship products!" and the others who say "this is style over substance" or even "nothing against good wine, but you don't have to make such a song and dance about it". There's certainly a whiff of 'don't hate me because I'm beautiful' about the place.