WHISPERING ANGEL 20 YEARS SPECIAL EDITION
The Rosé Revolution
Château d’Esclans lies at the heart of Provence and is the place where the pulse of the “rosé revolution” beats. When Sacha Lichine took over the estate in 2006, he had a clear vision: to transform rosé from a simple, summery wine into a world-class wine that would create an entirely new category in the market.
At a time when rosé wines were undervalued, Château d’Esclans dared to go a step further, introducing techniques inspired by Burgundy, placing emphasis on terroir, precision in winemaking and complexity.
This is how the phenomenon of Whispering Angel was born, which over the past 20 years has evolved into the most recognisable rosé on the planet. A wine that became synonymous with Provence, beloved by consumers and critics alike, and which succeeded in establishing rosé as something far more than a simple aperitif or pool wine.
With its delicate colour, refreshing acidity and refined fruity aromas, Whispering Angel opened the door to an entire category of premium rosé and placed Château d’Esclans at the top of the rosé wine world.
The Icons
And yet, for Château d’Esclans this was not enough — in fact, this was only the beginning!
With Sacha’s vision for complex rosés, with ageing potential (a scandalous idea at the time), he created the ultimate rosé icon, Garrus (95pts from Suckling and Decanter for the 2023 vintage). This is a rosé that raises the bar to a completely different level, sourced exclusively from vines over 100 years old, the so-called “golden parcels” of the estate. The winemaking of Château d’Esclans Garrus resembles more a white Grand Cru from Burgundy than a rosé: fermentation and ageing in new French oak barrels for complexity and texture, and a small proportion of press wine to give a little extra structure to its ethereal profile.
Naturally, between Whispering Angel and Garrus there are other “steps”. We begin with Rock Angel (92pts from Suckling for the 2024 vintage), the rock and roll sibling of Whispering, with a more mineral character and fuller body. Then, we have Château d’Esclans (92pts from Suckling for the 2023 vintage) from Grenache and Rolle, with a gentle touch of oak that combines freshness with complexity. And we move on to the luxurious Les Clans (94pts from Suckling for the 2023 vintage), the younger sibling of Garrus, which many compare to white Burgundy in the way it ages.
The Success Story & The Anniversary Label
And now a few numbers that highlight the impressive and enviable success story of Whispering. Since 2006, it has managed to increase its demand by 2000%. When we talk about sweeping success, we truly mean it! Today, it is exported to more than 100 countries, while 12.1 bottles are opened every minute in the United States. At the same time, critics raise their glass in its name, with James Suckling describing it as “always outstanding”.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Whispering Angel, Château d'Esclans released a special, limited-production bottling of the 2025 vintage, bearing the signature of Sacha Lichine alongside the now internationally recognised angels. Julia Cuissart de Grelle, head of Château d'Esclans at Moët Hennessy USA, stated that this anniversary marks a turning point not only for the brand but for the entire rosé category — a category that two decades ago was considered purely seasonal and has now been completely elevated. Sacha Lichine stated that this vintage is among the best they have ever produced.
It is fascinating how so many rosés, with similar grape composition, can display such different character. That is why there is always a rosé from Château d’Esclans to suit every moment of the day or occasion.
Eva Markaki
Dip WSET
