Château d'Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé / 2024 / 375mL

Description:

Château d'Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé 2024 is a pale, dry rosé from Côtes de Provence, here in a 375mL half bottle. Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle give it the pale salmon colour and gentle red-fruit lift the label is known for, and 2024 has delivered a version that is balanced and ready to enjoy straight away rather than needing a few months to settle.

Crushed strawberry, white peach and a touch of pink grapefruit come first, with a faint floral note behind them. The palate follows through with dried raspberry and melon, a whisper of spice, and no sweetness at all.

Texture is the point here — soft and rounded through the middle, then tightened by clean citrus acidity and a dry, faintly saline close. The finish is smooth and moderate in length, which is exactly what you want from a rosé you are drinking cold and without much ceremony.

The half bottle suits the occasions a full bottle overshoots: a solo lunch on the balcony, two glasses before dinner, a picnic basket, or a second bottle at a table where everyone is drinking something different. Pour it with prawns, salmon tartare, goat's cheese, Niçoise salad or a plate of jamón. It also travels well and chills quickly, which makes it useful on a hot afternoon.

Drink now and through the next two years, served properly cold.