Provence Wine

Winemaker Descripton 

Whispering Angel is today's worldwide reference for Provence Rosé. Made from Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle (Vermentino), its pale color is pleasing to the eye and draws one in. The rewarding taste profile is full and lush while being bone dry with a smooth finish.

Highly approachable and enjoyable with a broad range of cuisine, Whispering Angel is a premium Rosé that you can drink from mid-day to midnight. 

This rose wine is delicate, clean and minerally. Pale salmon in color. Fresh peach and strawberry on the nose with plenty of red berry fruits. Full bodied and dry, with pink grapefruit and hints of peach on the palate, lively acidity and a long finish.

A beautifully made wine.

Whispering Angel Rose is made by Sacha Lichine and his team at Chateau d'Esclans, in La Motte en Provence, south France. Made from grapes grown from some of the most choice land in the surrounding region of la Motte en Provence, consisting primarily of Grenache, Rolle (Vermentino) and Cinsault.

Expert Review

James Suckling 91 Points | A silky, seductive and saline Côtes de Provence rosé with aromas of small berries, red currants and salt. It’s medium-bodied, succulent, fresh and playful, with a caressing texture and a vivid, saline finish. (2023). 

 

Winemaker Notes

An alluringly clear pale pink colour with gleaming pastel pink reflections. Fine and elegant, the nose offers a superb aromatic bouquet with notes of red berries and cherry blossom.The mouth is full, vivacious, and distinguished with a refinement that is heightened by delicious notes of blood orange and redcurrant perfectly balanced by a lovely mineral structure and just the right hint of bitterness. These luscious aromas are prolonged on the lingering finish of this elegant, well-balanced wine.

Like in the Northern Rhône, the 2023 vintage was full of contrasts in Provence, requiring composure and meticulous and permanent attention of our vines. After a dry winter, the spring was particularly wet with episodes of hail which caused damage. Following these heavy rains, we had to face significant spells of mildew before a particularly hot and dry summer.

The harvest thus began early on September 6th. Due to these climatic hazards, the harvest offers a limited quantity but with magnificent quality. The wines are now resting peacefully in the cellar. In the fall, we were also able to harvest a good crop of olives, around 15 tonnes.

Winemaker Description 

Pretty pale-pink, very limpid color with bluish reflections. This wine offers an exquisite nose with delicate notes of grapefruit and white flowers. Fresh and well-balanced, the palate is lively and reveals seductive aromas of citrus and sea iodine.

 

Expert Review - Vintage 2023 

90 Points James Suckling | A fruity, mellow and refreshing wine with notes of red currants, cranberries and apricots. Medium-bodied with a supple character throughout. Fruity and playful. (2023).

Producer Description 

A hypnotizing pale pink color with notes of citrus, wild berries, and white peach. Refreshingly crisp and dry with a mineral finish. 

Winemaker Description 

Expert Review

91 Points James Suckling | Pale apricot color with aromas of pomegranates, grapefruit, rosemary, lavender and peaches. Fresh and delicate, yet fragrant and flavorful, with a medium body and bright acidity. Lovely fresh pink fruit.

Winemaker Description

A richly flavored red with autumnal aromas, plush red/black fruits and peppery spice. Few other Provençal reds can match the power and grace of this bottle (its form a traditional Normandy "Calvados" shape that only Gourgonnier uses).

Pair with grilled steak, lamb and richly flavored cheeses. 

Winemaker Description 

Classic Provençal rosé with delightful tree-fruit and citrus notes (peach, nectarine, grapefruit) and a crisp finish. Structured and complex, with citrus and red fruit on the palate.

Winemaker Description

Provence, France. Organic. Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsualt, Syrah, Carignan. Gives up classic leather, garrigue, underbrush and sweet black raspberry notes on the nose. Medium-bodied, supple, sexy and with fine tannin, it’s a forward, ready to go beauty to drink over the coming 5-7 years. 

Winemaker Description

Drinking superbly, exuding garrigue and subtle sauvage notes. A natural companion to Mediterranean fare, this red can also be cellared for at least 20 years 75% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, 2% Carignan, from 40 year old vines. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Winemaker Description

Certified organic. 65% Mourvèdre, 35% Cinsault. The terraced vineyard faces the sea on the top of a hill that reaches 300m, forming a great natural south-east-facing bowl. Highest elevation in Bandol.

The soil is made of clay, limestone and white chalk. Fermented at low temperatures slowly for 20 days. Indigenous yeast. Aged in tank for 6 months. 

Expert Review

Wine Advocate 92 Points | A blend of 65% Mourvèdre and 35% Cinsault, the 2023 Bandol Rosé from Château de Pibarnon offers up a delicate, complex bouquet of spices, licorice, red berries, lemon, spring flowers and herbs. Medium-bodied, enveloping and beautifully structured, it’s round and juicy with a delicate, lively core of fruit and a mineral, calcareous finish. This is a classical rosé wine from Bandol. (2023). 

 

Winemaker Description 

The Bandol Rouge is composed of 85% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache and 5% Cinsault and grown on soils of limestone pebbles in brown clay, limestone and marl.

A complex nose of opulent Mourvèdre fruit and a whisper of animal/barnyard and turned earth.

On the palette fleshy raspberry melds with tea-leaf and currants around a core of chewy tannins.

Organic viticulture with absolutely no chemical herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. Soil is worked regularly by plow and hand-hoes. Buds are trimmed and a green harvest is practice to purposefully limit yields; the average yield is between 35-38 hl/ha. All grapes are harvested by hand, and selection takes place in the vineyards instead of on a sorting table. Grapes are de-stemmed and then gently pressed by pneumatic press. Wines ferment for 15-21 days in underground, temperature-controlled, gravity-fed cuves. Wine ages in oak foudres for 18 months.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Before acquiring vineyards, Georges Delille trained as a sommelier in Paris. In 1963, he bought what would become Domaine de Terrebrune, a property in Ollioules, just east of Bandol, framed by the Mediterranean and the mountain called Gros-Cerveau (Big Brain), dotted with olive groves and scenic views—an idyllic spot. During the years following the declaration of A.O.C. Bandol (1941), mass overhauling and reconstruction of vineyards were commonplace, and vignerons were eager to revive the noble Mourvèdre grape. Georges spent ten years just renovating the property; he terraced hillsides, refashioned the masonry, replanted vineyards following the advice of Lucien Peyraud, designated soils to lie dormant and regenerate, and built a new cellar. In 1980, his son Reynald joined him after finishing winemaking school, and together they launched their first bottled vintage of Domaine de Terrebrune, which Reynald named in honor of the rich, brown soils they farm. Reynald’s credo of “Philosophy, Rigor, and Respect” is not a catch-phrase. He believes that the hard work and extra attention to the vines is worth it, and, as they say, the proof’s in the pudding—a glass of Terrebrune!

La Fête Wine Company Founder & CEO Donae Burston was first introduced to the wonders of Cotes de Provence rose while celebrating his 30th birthday at the world famous Nikki Beach Club in Saint Tropez.

Burston and his friends were surrounded by people from around the world drinking what he thought was white Zinfandel, but was in fact rose from the surrounding Provence region. From that very first taste, the seeds for La Fête du Rosé were planted.

On the nose, scents of freshly picked forest fruits with notes of salinity, reminiscent of a summer evening on the beach. On the palate, perfectly balanced, vibrant strawberry grenadine and currant, ending with remarkable freshness. Winemaker Description.

Winemaker Description 

Tempier's Blanc, with its delicate florals, subtle note of anise, and stony finish, tastes perfect alongside shellfish or grilled seafood. After a few years in your cellar, pair it with cheeses or serve it alone to appreciate the “honeyed and marine aromas” that develop with age. 

Winemaker Descxription 

MUSE DE MIRAVAL is a rigorous selection of the château's oldest and best plots and the finest expression of this unique terroir!

Organically farmed.

This rosé cuvée, mostly vinified in egg-shaped concrete vats, is also aged to a lesser extent in special oak barrels (so-called demi-muids). Each of its aromas evokes a chapter in Miraval's history, reflecting the place and its fragrance, which is typical of this Provençal winery. The unique shape of its handcrafted bottle (available only in magnum) and its very own rosé wine celebrate Miraval's timeless style with rare elegance.

 

Winemaker Description 

Isle Saint-Pierre Rouge IGP Mediterranee 2022 delights with its Mediterranean charm, offering ripe berry flavors, aromatic herbs, and a hint of spice. This wine reflects Isle Saint-Pierre's dedication to sustainable farming and preserving the biodiversity of the Mediterranean coast.

Producer Description

Paul de Coste is located in Salon-de-Provence in the south of France. Made with 60% Chardonnay, and 40% Ugni Blanc.  A pale straw color with an abundance of citrus fruit.  It is bursting with freshness. Wonderful luscious finish.   

Producer Description 

Clean, invigorating notes of silex on the nose showcase the limestone soils of the Rouanne vineyard. The aromas and flavors develop as the wines opens to reveal wild strawberry and fresh thyme – a complex and flavorful sparkling rosé.

Tasting notes : Clean, invigorating notes of silex on the nose showcase the limestone soils of the Rouanne vineyard. The aromas and flavors develop as the wine opens to reveal wild strawberry and fresh thyme – a complex and flavorful sparkling rosé.

Pairs well with : The tension of the acidity and bubbles lifts the rounds of the red fruit flavors, making this a fresh and elegant sparkling wine. It is an ideal aperitif and can be served with hors d'oeuvres, oysters, or a variety of charcuterie and light salads.

Winemaker Description 

This drink now Chateau Roubine, La Vie en Rose is from Cotes de Provence, France: Look for cherries, strawberries, peaches and subtle hints of minerals on the nose. Light in body, with notes of ripe red berries and stony fruit. A perfect, medium-plus acid structure that balances well with the ripeness of the fruit on the palate - carrying the wine throughout and culminating in a refreshing finish.

Producer Description 

Light, transparent red color. Nose is lovely, spicy, full of red berries, with notes of raspberries, strawberries, garrigue and nutmeg. Mouthfeel is lovely, light, elegant, with smooth powder-like tannins, nice acidity and notes of raspberries, strawberries, garrigue and nutmeg, with a long, spicy finish.

 

Winemaker Description

Château Sainte Roseline, Lampe de Méduse, with its unique shape, is the iconic and historic cuvée of the estate. Since 1950, it has been the heart of the production of this famous Cru Classé vineyard.

Famous as a historic site but also for its premium Rosés, Château Sainte Roseline is a Provence icon.

Its pale color is slightly salmony. The complex and intense nose reveals fine notes of peaches and mangos. The beautiful liveliness and persistence of the aromatic notes at the end of the palate make this a very crunchy wine. A minty finish sublimates its beautiful freshness.

Expert Reviews

Billy Norris of Vinous writes | The 2023 Rosé Lampe de Meduse is dark and alluring on the nose, displaying watermelon, red berry fruit and orange peel aromas. Rounded and honeyed on the palate, there's just enough acidity to propel this past the finish line. Rosemary and thyme hints hang around after the close, kicking this wine more into the savory spectrum than I expected. This is interesting and characterful.  Drinking 2024 - 2025.

Jancis Robinson writes 16 Points | Drier and more substantial than their Prestige 2023 bottling. Lots of fruit with a (just) sufficiently dry finish. Some intrigue. 

 

 

Expert Review

Yohan Castaing of the Wine Advociate writes 90 Points | A blend of 41% Grenache, 31% Cinsault, 12% Mourvèdre, 8% Tibouren, 5% Syrah and 3% Carignan, the 2022 Cotes de Provence Rose Lampe de Meduse possesses a fresh, fruit-driven bouquet with aromas of citrus, lemon oil, red berries, wild strawberry and menthol. Crunchy, juicy and perfectly balanced with a medium-bodied palate, it’s long and penetrating with lively acids, an iodine-salty finish and a clean and mouthwatering texture.  Drinking 2023 - 2025. (2022).

Winemaker Description

The wine, crafted from Grenache, Cinsault, and Vermentino, is aged in concrete and stainless steel tanks to preserve its freshness and purity.

Tasting Notes: This rosé exudes a brilliant sunset pink hue. On the nose, it presents an enticing aromatic bouquet of fresh red berries such as wild strawberries, raspberries, and red currants, with a hint of citrus elements like lime peel in the background. On the palate, there are abundant strawberries and raspberries accompanied by refreshingly dry acidity. The finish is dry and very clean, leaving no aftertaste except for a thirst that entices one to keep sipping.

Winemaker Description 

This historic estate, situated in the hills just south of Aix-en-Provence, has been in the hands of the Rougier family for two centuries and holds a virtual monopoly on the appellation of Palette. Château Simone encompasses twenty hectares of vineyards that sit on limestone soils at elevations between 500 and 750 feet above sea level on the slopes of Montaiguet. The special mesoclimate of this appellation is influenced by the encircling pine forests, the mass of Mont Sainte-Victoire, and the Arc River. 

The vineyards were reconstituted after the invasion of phylloxera but many vines are over a century old. The Rougiers maintain the particular vinification methods developed and cherished over many decades. All of the grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, lightly pressed and fermented for 15 to 20 days in small wooden vats with only wild yeast, then put into small foudre to rest on the lees. 

The red from Simone is an elegant yet well-constituted wine of great depth. It is primarily composed of Grenache and Mourvèdre but its special character reflects the presence of a mélange other grape varieties, albeit in small proportion, including Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Castet, Manosquin, Théoulier, Tibouren, Picpoul Noir, and Muscat de Hambourg.