Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/518118
june 2015 / the tasting panel / 39 "Sacha named this wine for the two cherubs that hang in the estate's private chapel," said Allen, who shares a long-time friendship with family patriarch Alexis Lichine. All of the d'Esclans wines are based on an old-vine Grenache/Rolle blend and Whispering Angel includes a smattering of Syrah, Tibouren and Cinsault. Fruit is protected by dry ice pellets during transport to the winery, optically sorted and scrupulously temperature- controlled during fermentation with the reserve wines aging on the lees in barrel for a year. Lichine purchased Château d'Esclans, a property which dates to the early 13th century, in 2006 and that same vintage fermented a rosé wine in large-format new French oak. The result is the winery's cult-status Garrus, which is often compared to a white Burgundy or prestige Champagne. The 2013 Garrus rosé was the palest pink with yuzu, pineapple and baking spices wrapped around a core of precise minerality. Single-barrel bottling enables the production of four different wines: Garrus and Les Clans, the estate's reserve wines, Château d'Esclans and Whispering Angel, created to appeal to a broader market. Debbie Zachareas, owner and partner at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant, has seen high demand for the Château d'Esclans wines at her stores, and through the experiences, she curates for the luxury gifting site www.IfOnly.com. As consumption of rosé wines in the U.S. grows, consumers are trading up and prices are following suit. With a wave of new bottlings being created expressly for the active ultra-premium category entering the market, it's a good time to take stock of rosé producer Château d'Esclans, the Côtes de Provence quality leader that is destined to maintain a steady presence in the upper echelons. Château d'Esclans representative Jim Allen with wine.com's Mike Osborn, founder, VP Merchandising, and Gwendolyn Osborn, Director of Education and Content. Fred Dame, MS—VP of Prestige Accounts for American Wine & Spirits (a division of SW&S CA)—welcomes Chef Roland Passot (middle), owner of La Folie, and Chef Gerald Hirigoyen, who is owner of Piperade. Kim Beto (left), VP Key Accounts, Southern Wine & Spirits, and Marcus Garcia, General Manager/Wine Director at French Club in San Francisco. Fred Dame handing Tara Patrick, Sommelier at Quince, her magnum of Garrus rosé, which she won during the tasting.