Caves d’Esclans Les Clans 2024

Château d'Esclans sits in the Côtes de Provence in the south of France, where Sasha Lichine built a range of ambitious dry rosés led by the well-known Whispering Angel and rising through to Les Clans. The blend is Grenache and Syrah with white Vermentino, grown on the schist and limestone soils of the estate. Provence has a warm, dry Mediterranean climate with cooling mistral winds, which keeps the grapes healthy and lets the winery aim for ripe aromatics while extracting very little colour. The fruit is pressed gently and a portion is fermented and aged in oak, which gives Les Clans more weight, texture and ageing potential than a simple young rosé while keeping the pale tone. The colour is pale salmon. The nose shows white peach, red berries and citrus peel with white flowers and a faint almond note from the barrel. The palate is dry, broad and savoury, with fresh acidity carrying a long, mineral finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a white wine glass. It pairs with grilled fish, shellfish and roast chicken.