Les Clans d Esclans Provence Rosé 2021

Les Clans d'Esclans Provence Rosé, Chateau d'Esclans, Cotes de Provence, France, 2021

Grapes: Old vine Grenache & Rolle (Vermentino), Les Clans is made from grapes exclusively from the vineyards of Chateau d’Esclans, hand harvested, optical eye sorting, closed circuit pressing under nitrogen, barrel fermented and oak aged in new & second used demi-muids, lees stirring for 11 months before bottling.

Sacha Lichine's superb range of rosé wines is aimed at producing the highest quality at all price points and serious, "fine wine" level, gastronomic experiences such as Les Clans (only "Garrus" is above it in the hierarchy) compete with top white Burgundy for attention from connoisseurs.

Producer Tasting Note: 

Ripe red berry aromas with toasty and hazel nut notes. Full-bodied palate, yet elegant. Ripe pineapple and ginger notes with hints of black liquorice, making for a rich and exotic palate. Elegant, long and juicy with a suave finish.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"The 2021 Cotes de Provence Rose Les Clans, matured for 11 months in 600-liter barrels (new and old), derives from old vines (50-55 years of age) planted on gravel-calcareous soils. It reveals a complex, dense bouquet with aromas of vanilla, spices, peach, iodine, crushed stones, rose and raspberry, followed by a medium to full-bodied, seamless palate endowed with impressive texture, racy acids and a refreshing yet long finish. It's the most complex, racy, gastronomic wine in the Château d’Esclans range." Drink 2023-2028

93/100 points, Yohan Castaing, WINE ADVOCATE, June 2023

"Like it's 'big brother', the Garrus cuvée, this is where rosé gets serious, for me having more in common with quality white Burgundy than generic pinks. From a very careful selection of grapes, only the free run juice is vinified in 600-litre oak barrels for a full 11 months, with lees stirring twice weekly. Indeed, that's a winemaking recipe that would be familiar for white Burgundy too. Certainly, that sheen of almond and oatmeal is luxurious and subtle in this very pale wine, the fruit only hinting a small, intense red berries while lemon joins the picture. On the palate it is generous and creamy, but the sweet intensity of the fruit powers through. There is a little nip of tannin, but the concentration of fruit and acidity is what drives the long, dry, gastronomic finish. This and Garrus really are a different take on rosé."

95/100 points, Tom Cannavan, January 2023

Also awarded GOLD at The Global Rosé Masters in 2023. Every vintage from 2015-2021 has won either GOLD or MASTER in the same competition. Serious quality and consistency!

Drink with grilled fish, seafood dishes and vegetarian, Provencal aubergine.