There are many very good rosé wines from France, but my favorite from last year was the Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé 2006. This estate in the Cotes de Provence covers about 267 hectares. It is interesting to note that Provence produces 8% of the world’s rosé. Sascha Lichine is the proprietor and Patrick Leon (previously at Mouton-Rothschild) is the winemaker.
I still have a couple of bottles hiding to get me to the 2007, which should be available in the very near future.
This wine is a blend of Grenache and Rolle. Very light pink in color, truly vin gris in color. An aromatic nose with herbaceous plants and flowers. Strawberries, lavendar, minerals on the palate with a dry, clean finish. Provence in a bottle – and a text book expression of rosé. Beautiful, elegant and seductive.
This was my favorite rosé from 2006 — and may have been one of my 10 favorite wines for the year. A wonderful food wine — a great pairing with seafood, white meats (an outstanding selection for any holiday with turkey or ham), Indian or Asian cuisine — or any light spring or summer fare (salads, vegetables, etc).
They make 3 rosés, the Whispering Angel is their entry level wine. They make the world’s most expensive rosé (Garrus), which retails at about $99 a bottle. While I would expect that to be a great wine as well, it would be difficult to pass up the quality and value of the Whispering Angel.
Strongly recommended.
The wine may not be easy to find, but worth seeking out. I found it on sale at Calvert Woodley in DC for about $17 a bottle. The best price online is about $16-17 a bottle. The bad news is that I have not been able to find any of the 2007. Calvert Woodley told me that they would not be getting any this year, and wine-searcher.com does not turn up a single listing. Please leave a comment if you have found any of the 2007.
You can learn more about the estate and their wines at their website.
More rosé wines:
Lopez de Heredia Rioja Tondonia Rosé 1998
Mas des Bressades Rosé
Prieto Picudo Preto Rosado 2008
[…] fan of rosés for quite a while. In addition to the Mas de Bressades, I will always recommend the Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel, Bonny Doon’s Vin Gris, Robert Kacher Selections always has some great rosés (and great […]
[…] that I am very pleased to have on hand, but I don’t think I would include this in my list of absolute favorite rosés. I would strongly recommend any of his Cabernet Francs and would recommend this as well albeit with […]
[…] Read my original review of the 2006 Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé. […]
[…] Rosé wines of the year, it would actually make my short list with the Mas des Bressades Rosé and Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé 2006 (my perennial favorite […]
[…] I still prefer the Mas des Bressades Rosé and the Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé — this is quaftastic and a great choice for BBQ or […]
[…] rosé wines: Mas des Bressades Rosé Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé Prieto Picudo Preto […]
[…] list of favorite rosés along with the Mas des Bressades, Lopez de Heredia Rioja Tondonia and the Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé — almost as provocative as the Lopez de Heredia. This is a great food wine and the salty […]
Just came across your site while searching Chateau D’Esclans. Just returned from Provence and visited Chateau D’Esclans a few times. Absolutely a fan of Whispering Angel. When I tried to have some shipped, the clerk at the vineyard gave me the name of the American distributor, who I will contact directly. I’ll let you know if I find any retailers.
Todd,
Let me know if I can help — you can certainly have it shipped to you and am happy to identify a retailer if you let me know what state you are in.
Thanks for the comment,
Tom
IN Vie is the distributor in Indiana and Whispering Angle is available at Sahara Mart, Bloomington. We ordered two (2) cases of the four (4) IN Vie had in stock, and I purchased one case for my wife and myself.
Whispering angle is truly the best rose we’ve ever experienced and want to visit the winery next summer when we’re in Provence. We served it at a brunch yesterday at a friends home after church and everyone agreed.
where can I find Whispering Angel in Manhattan, please?
http://www.sherry-lehmann.com
Hello,
Where can I find whispering Angel in Massachusetts/Boston?
Thank you!
In MA, Falmouth Wine & Spirits should carry it…
Any chance I can find Whispering Angel in Buffalo, NY?
You can find it at the following stores in NY:
EmpireWine.com
Marketview Liquor
Sokolin & Co.
Saratoga Wine Exchange
Sherry-Lehmann Open in New Window
Westchester Wine Warehouse
De Vino