The Les Clans is the top rosé of Chateau d'Esclans with the Garrus. The vineyards of Chateau d'Esclans are very conveniently located in a south-western position on a clay-like and calcareous soil. The Les Clans is made exclusively from 70 year old Grenache and Rolle sticks. The grapes are first tasted, then picked by hand very early in the morning (so you don't get spontaneous fermentation due to the heat) and sorted for quality up to three times. Maceration between 10 and 12 gr. C, resulting in a maximum of fruit and a selection of 90% pure 'free-run' juice and 10% light pressing. A full and 10-month Burgundian Batonnage in 600 liters 2nd year oak barrels which is fully temperature controlled between 12 and 16 gr.

The wine is always aged for a year and is released after the Whispering Angel is released (so the 2019 Les Clan and Garrus are released when the 2020 Whispering Angel hits the mark). The Les Clans is a rich and full-bodied wine with a dense texture with nice layers of spice and vanilla as well as intense red fruit. In the glass, the Les Clans is salmon pink with a hint of orange. Fresh, elegant and refined with a nice texture. Full bodied, refined but not obtrusive. Some butter and minerals in the aftertaste. The wine is reminiscent of a white Grandcru Bourgogne and will improve over the years.

Sacha Lichine settled in La Motte-en-Provence in 2006 and bought Château d'Esclans from a Swedish family. Sacha is the son of world-renowned winemaker and writer Alexis Lichine. It may sound arrogant, but his goal was to make the best rosé in the world to compete with the top Montrachets. To realize this ambition, he left the vinification to Patrick Léon who was the winemaker of Mouton Rothschild for 23 years, with as a result, for example, Whispering Angel has been sold out in no time for years. Château d'Esclans was voted 'The European Winery of The Year 2014' by Wine Enthusiast magazine at the end of November. It is the first time in history that a winery that mainly produces rosé wines has been awarded this 'Oscar for wines'.

Les Clans is simply stunningThis is what mind-blowing rosé is all about.
19/20 Matthew Jukes

A fantastic rosé with such intensity and complexity It's medium-bodied with a dense center palate and superb length and focus.
95/100 James Suckling

Juicy and complex on the palate, it has a serious, pure, dry finish
Will Lyons (The Wall Street Journal)

Rich with a dense structure and impressive concentration
92/100 Roger Voss (Wine Enthusiast)

Elegant, long and juicy
Anthony Dias Blue (The Tasting Panel)

A suave creamy feel echoes throughout. Very flattering
The Wine Spectator

A captivating wine that draws you in slowly and prevents you from leaving
The Wine Review Online

Fresh, elegant and refined with lovely texture
wineanorak.com

This is Provencal Rosé but not as we know it
Andrew Jefford (The World of Fine Wine)

If you like a barrel-influenced white wines such as a fine Burgundy or the great blancs of Graves in Bordeaux, then Les Clans should not disappoint. This is a rosé that has the hallmarks of a top-end white wine mixed with some of the characters of a fine, light red.
Patrick Schmitt (The Drinks Business)

96 Points