Light orange onion peel. It smells of herbs, reminiscent of thyme, lavender, and thus something of the typical fragrant produce of Provence. Creamy and long texture, good sustaining acidity, still herbs and wood and some caramel notes. Sensational, impressive, fantastic-a rosé of an extremely unusual and unique type. *** Very very very pale salmon pink. Lightly toasted nose, wild strawberry fruit and a touch of vanilla cream. The palate then evolves in layers of beautiful characters, from soft red fruits, peach, to orange blossom, toast and vanilla pod, and then a dry, soft, delicately chalky finish. Just medium weight, not heavy or too oily, but lots of character, with complementary characters of wood smoke and notes of pure peach and red berry fruits, pear and ripe grapefruit. Delicious. Layered, fine and still refreshing.
Special selection of the ripest grapes in the vineyard. Half from vines over 80 years old. Hand-harvested and hand-picked three times! No use of pressed wine. Fermentation in 600-liter barrel with regular stirring of yeasts. 10-month expansion.
Château d’Esclans is located in the heart of the Var region, where most AOC Rosés de Provence is produced. The lands were occupied 2,500 years ago and provided a surveillance point for any intruders who might land in the Gulf of Fréjus. The original castle-whose only cellars remain today-was built before the 12th century. In 1201 Gérard de Villeneuve, heir to a wealthy Marseille family, became the owner of the castle and most of the land in the Vallée d’Esclans; these were later sold in lots. Two brothers, Sauveur Louis Ranque and François Alexandre Ranque, later became owners of the chateau, then known as Terre d’Esclans.
In 1875, the Ranque brothers sold the property to Joseph Toussaint Caussemille, a match manufacturer near Marseille. In 1955, the Perraud family became owners of the chateau until 1994. It was then purchased by a Swedish pension fund that produced a small amount of wine and sold the remaining grapes to surrounding vintners. Sacha Lichine acquired Château d’Esclans in 2006. Today the property covers 427 hectares, 140 of which are vineyards.
The main grape variety grown on the property is Grenache, followed by Vermentino. Other grape varieties include Cinsault, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Tibouren. The chateau is known for its old Grenache vines that produce grapes with a higher concentration of aromas than younger vines. The higher the plots, the older the vines. In the highest soils the vines reach 90 years of age.
