Farsons Beverage Imports Company (FBIC) has recently been entrusted by Château d'Esclans to distribute their award-winning Côtes de Provence rosés, including the renowned Whispering Angel, locally.

The French wine-producing region of Provence in southeast France makes some delicious and easy-drinking wines. Most of these wines are rosé – a dry, pale, pink style rosé. The climate is Mediterranean, with many of the vines planted on southern facing slopes to avoid the fierce winds.

Chateau d’Esclans is located on elevated land northwest of the ancient Roman city of Frejus on the Mediterranean coast. The château is known for its old Grenache vines which produce grapes that offer greater concentration of flavour than do the younger vines. Some of the vines are over 90 years old.

The château itself dates back to Gaullist times when it served as a lookout point to spot intruders coming by boat into the Gulf of Frejus. The original château—of which only the cellar remains—dates back to before the 12th century. The chateau’s cellar foundation is the oldest in the region. The current chateau is inspired by Tuscan villa design and was built during the mid-19th century.

Sacha Lichine is the owner of Château d'Esclans as well as the winemaker together with Patrick Leon. His acquisition in 2006 of Château d’Esclans was a pivotal moment for Sacha who believed that rosé had an opportunity to increase production and expand the market outside the region. He has since built a world class brand with his rosé collection and has been recognised as a major contributor to the unprecedented growth in the rosé category around the world. Even in France consumers have increased their consumption of rosé over white wines.

Sacha and Patrick set out to make an outstanding collection of rosés that would be taken seriously as a year-round wine to drink. Patrick Léon crafted a lighter style of rosé, fresh, clean, mineral with a white peach expression and very dry, not sweet. The style has been very closely maintained over the past 10 years, even as the grape sourcing has grown exponentially. The rosé is unoaked, vinified in stainless steel tanks, kept chilled at every stage of the process and made from a blend of Grenache, Rolle, Cinsault and Syrah, all hand-harvested. Sacha’s Whispering Angel started the ball rolling and each year the winery runs out of this sought-after wine.

Château d'Esclans wines are available in selected restaurants, wine boutiques and Farsonsdirect in Mriehel (www.farsonsdirect.com).