Château d'Esclans Whispering Angel 2025 20th Vintage Limited Edition Côtes de Provence Rosé 3L (3000 ml)

In 2006, Sacha Lichine — a Bordeaux native with wine in his blood — bought Château d'Esclans in La Motte-en-Provence, northeast of Saint-Tropez, and set out to do something that at the time sounded almost contrarian: make rosé a serious wine. Not a seasonal terrace drink for casual summer afternoons, but a wine crafted with the same rigor, precision, and ambition as the world's finest reds and whites. He brought in Patrick Léon — the former technical director at Château Mouton Rothschild, one of Bordeaux's most storied first-growth estates — to build a rosé that would be consistent, polished, and genuinely world-class. Whispering Angel became the flagship of that vision, and the vision worked beyond what almost anyone could have predicted: Provençal rosé exports rose 547% between 2008 and 2017, their value climbing 1,020% to 226 million euros over the same period, and the global rosé category now exceeds one billion euros annually. Whispering Angel remains its best-known name, sold today in more than 100 countries, poured at Loulou in Saint-Tropez, Eden Rock in St. Barths, Annabel's in London, and the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The name itself comes from the estate: two stone cherub figures on the property that appear, from certain angles, to be leaning together and whispering to one another. Twenty years after that first vintage, Château d'Esclans has released the 2025 as a specific 20th Vintage Limited Edition — a genuine milestone bottling carrying a redesigned anniversary label that features Sacha Lichine's own signature alongside the familiar angel imagery, accompanied by a special-edition artwork series of twenty visual stories, each representing a chapter in the Whispering Angel journey. Lichine himself called it directly: "I am pleased to say that this is among the best vintages of Whispering Angel we've made. Both delicious and aromatic." Winemaker Bertrand Léon added: "The 20th anniversary vintage is expressive and precise, revealed through a balance of ripeness and freshness, with delicate notes of citrus and red fruits that add clarity and depth. On the palate, the wine opens smoothly with a silky, well-defined texture."

Sourced from the finest vineyards in the Esclans Valley and surrounding Côtes de Provence, including Grenache vines up to 90 years old, blended with Cinsault, Syrah, and Rolle — the same varietal architecture that has defined Whispering Angel since the beginning, harvested at sunrise to avoid the heat of the Provençal day. Strawberry and raspberry notes lift alongside delicate citrus, carried by bright, zippy acidity into a lively, precise, and energetic finish — "a fitting tribute to two decades of vision and innovation." In the substantial 3-liter format, this is the anniversary bottling built for the scale of the occasion it commemorates.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Château d'Esclans sits in La Motte-en-Provence, overlooking the Esclans Valley northeast of Saint-Tropez, in the heart of the Côtes de Provence appellation. Sacha Lichine acquired the estate in 2006 with the explicit ambition of elevating Provençal rosé from a seasonal, casually regarded category into a serious international luxury wine, bringing in Patrick Léon — former technical director at Château Mouton Rothschild — as founding winemaker to build the technical and stylistic foundation. Winemaking today is led by Bertrand Léon, continuing the estate's exacting production standards nearly two decades after the first release.

Whispering Angel is sourced from the choicest vineyards in the immediate vicinity of the Esclans Valley and the broader Côtes de Provence region — including old Grenache vines up to 90 years of age — blended with Cinsault, Syrah, and Rolle. Harvest takes place each September, from sunrise to noon specifically to avoid the heat of the day, with grapes picked at peak ripeness and placed into small 10-kilogram crates deliberately sized to prevent the weight of upper grapes from crushing those at the bottom of the crate. A portion of the fruit for Whispering Angel and Rock Angel is mechanically harvested at night, for the same heat-avoidance reason. After harvest, the grapes pass through a soft crush mechanism that gently punctures the skins to release juice, followed immediately by a heat exchange system that rapidly reduces the must's temperature from as high as 29°C down to 7-8°C — a critical step in preserving the delicate aromatics and pale color that define the Whispering Angel style.

Caves d'Esclans, the négociant-éleveur operation Lichine founded alongside the estate itself, identifies the finest vines and grapes both within Château d'Esclans and among carefully selected local growers, working to build close, privileged relationships that ensure every source farms to the same high standard the estate itself has maintained since 2006. The 2025 vintage marks the 20th release of Whispering Angel, presented in a redesigned anniversary label featuring Sacha Lichine's personal signature alongside the estate's angel emblem, accompanied by a special-edition artwork series of twenty visual stories chronicling the brand's two-decade history.

Critics Reviews

Wine-Searcher aggregate — 90/100 (2025 vintage)

Sacha Lichine, Founder:
"I am pleased to say that this is among the best vintages of Whispering Angel we've made. Both delicious and aromatic."

Bertrand Léon, Winemaker, Château d'Esclans:
"The 20th anniversary vintage is expressive and precise, revealed through a balance of ripeness and freshness, with delicate notes of citrus and red fruits that add clarity and depth. On the palate, the wine opens smoothly with a silky, well-defined texture."

Matt Winterton, Junior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd:
"Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the 2025 Whispering Angel is beautifully expressive, defined by a seamless balance of ripeness and freshness. Notes of strawberry and raspberry, alongside delicate citrus, are lifted by bright, zippy acidity and complemented by a silky-smooth texture. The finish is lively, precise and energetic — a fitting tribute to two decades of vision and innovation."

Berry Bros. & Rudd (extended tasting note):
"An elegant and scented nose of pink cherry pits, peach skin and cherry blossoms. Medium-bodied with fresh, round acidity and a textured finish. Elegant and pure finish."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Pale, luminous pink — the rapid post-crush cooling from 29°C to 7-8°C preserving the delicate color and aromatics that define the Whispering Angel house style. An elegant and scented nose opens with pink cherry pits, peach skin, and cherry blossoms — the most specifically refined and the most memorably floral aromatic combination in the wine's history to date. Strawberry and raspberry add vivid red-fruit brightness. Delicate citrus and lemon zest add lift. Almond blossom threads through with quiet, subtle complexity.

Palate
Expressive and precise — a seamless balance of ripeness and freshness carrying through the entry. The attack is lively and crystalline, carried by bright, zippy, well-judged acidity without any stiffness. Strawberry and raspberry continue from the nose with generous, juicy red-fruit character. A silky, well-defined texture opens smoothly across the mid-palate — medium-bodied, with fresh, round acidity providing structure. A saline touch evokes the nearby Mediterranean coastline, the estate's proximity to the sea directly apparent in the glass.

Finish
Lively, precise, and energetic — a fitting tribute, in the winemaker's own words, to two decades of vision and innovation. The finish is persistent and almost airy, elegant and pure, with the citrus and red fruit character lingering cleanly.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Grilled seafood and shellfish
• Salade Niçoise
• Light Mediterranean fare — olives, tapenade, fresh herbs
• Soft cheeses
• Aperitif, on its own