In 2006, Sacha Lichine purchased an ancient Provençal estate northeast of Saint-Tropez — a property whose history stretched back to the time of the Gauls, whose terraced vineyards rise from the Esclans Valley to old Grenache vines at 90 years of age — with one stated ambition: to produce the greatest rosé in the world. He launched the first Whispering Angel vintage that same year, with a pale pink color so delicate it seemed almost transparent and a flavor profile so immediately appealing — dry but lush, fresh but concentrated, ripe but never heavy — that it converted a generation of wine drinkers from the idea that rosé was a summer afterthought into the conviction that rosé could be the world's most enjoyable wine.

Twenty years later, the 2025 is the 20th Anniversary vintage. The pale color is exactly what it always was. The Grenache, Cinsault, Rolle, Syrah, and Tibouren blend from Côtes de Provence is exactly what it always was — old vines up to 90 years, harvested with obsessive care, vinified with technical precision in the same cellar that produced every one of those twenty vintages. James Suckling awarded 92 Points and described "dried raspberries, frozen strawberries and mild spices — medium-bodied with bright acidity — balanced and driven, with a lively center palate and a persistent, flavorful finish." Woods Wholesale Wine's tasting note added "an elegant and scented nose of pink cherry pits, peach skin and cherry blossoms — medium-bodied with fresh, round acidity and a textured finish."

And in a 1.5-liter magnum — the format that Champagne houses have always understood produces slower, more even aging, better pressure, and a more gracious gift presentation than any standard bottle — the 20th Anniversary Whispering Angel arrives as the most specifically celebration-appropriate, the most specifically occasion-anchoring, and the most generously poured rosé gift available at Blackwell's. From Monaco to the Hamptons, from the Hamptons to San Rafael: the same wine, in twice the bottle.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Château d'Esclans is a historic property in the Esclans Valley, La Motte, in the eastern Var département of Provence — an estate whose origins predate the appellation system by centuries, whose terraced vineyards rise from the valley floor to old-vine Grenache parcels at progressively increasing elevation, and whose château dates to the 19th century on land that has produced wine since at least the Gaulish era. Sacha Lichine — son of the celebrated Bordeaux wine authority Alexis Lichine — purchased the estate in 2005 and launched the Whispering Angel brand in 2006, transforming what was a quiet Provençal estate into the most recognized and the most imitated rosé brand in the world. Moët Hennessy (LVMH) acquired a 55% majority stake in 2019, with Lichine retaining 45% and continuing to lead the production program.

Whispering Angel draws from both Château d'Esclans estate vineyards and carefully selected Côtes de Provence parcels from surrounding growers — the Caves d'Esclans négoce operation blending estate fruit with the finest sourced parcels to produce the wine at the scale required by its global demand while maintaining the quality standard that 92-point Suckling scores confirm vintage after vintage. The old Grenache vines that define the estate's most concentrated and most specifically flavored fruit grow at the highest elevations of the Esclans Valley, where vine age — up to 90 years in the highest lots — produces the concentrated, low-yield fruit that gives Whispering Angel its unusual depth for a wine at this price.

The grape blend — Grenache, Cinsault, Rolle (Vermentino), Syrah, and Tibouren — is the most specifically Provençal and the most historically authentic blend available in any Côtes de Provence rosé. Harvesting conducted in the morning for estate grapes and at night for sourced parcels. Cold fermentation in stainless steel preserves aromatic purity and the pale color that is Whispering Angel's most immediately recognized quality signal. No oak aging in the standard Whispering Angel production — the wine's creaminess comes from the Grenache fruit's natural richness and the Rolle's aromatic weight rather than from barrel contact, distinguishing it from the lees-aged, oak-influenced Rock Angel above it in the hierarchy. Bone dry. 13.5% ABV.

The 1.5-liter magnum format produces a slower, more even secondary fermentation than standard bottles, with better pressure maintenance and a more gracious, more celebration-appropriate presentation — the format universally recognized as delivering the finest aging trajectory and the most specifically occasion-anchoring gift experience available from any wine in any category.

Critics Reviews

James Suckling — 92 Points (2025):
"A well-rounded, focused and delicious rosé showing dried raspberries, frozen strawberries and mild spices on the nose. Medium-bodied with bright acidity. Balanced and driven, with a lively center palate and a persistent, flavorful finish."

James Suckling (alternate 2025 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."

Laithwaites (20th Anniversary 2025 specific):
"The limited-edition 20th anniversary vintage is sophisticated and pristine, flaunting textured berry fruit, floral and citrus notes."

Château d'Esclans / Wainscott Main official tasting notes:
"A beautifully pale pink, which is pleasing to the eye and draws one in. Fresh red berry fruit characteristics with floral notes. Ripe and fleshy feel on the palate. Great concentration. Smooth and round finish. No astringent aftertaste."

Astor Wines (2025):
"Dry, fruit-forward, and playfully acidic. Strawberry, lemon, and white peach. A wine you could get in trouble for drinking too much of."

Decántalo (2025):
"Ripe strawberries, juicy peaches, and a subtle citrus hint that evokes the freshness of spring. On the palate, its lightness dazzles with a smooth texture and a perfect balance between acidity and sweetness."

Personalwine.com (confirmed blend note):
"Pale pink with vibrant aromas of peach, citrus, melon, and white florals. Medium-bodied, dry, and beautifully balanced, with a crisp, creamy finish. Effortlessly drinkable from brunch to sunset."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Beautifully pale pink — the palest and the most luminously transparent rosé color available in any Provence expression at any price, a color so specifically beautiful and so specifically famous that it has been reproduced on nail polish, lipstick, and fashion accessories across two decades of Whispering Angel's cultural influence. The nose opens with the aromatic character that James Suckling identified most specifically for the 2025: dried raspberries and frozen strawberries together — both fresh and slightly concentrated, the fresh berry's vivacity and the slightly more dried quality of extended ripening together in the pale fruit character that Grenache from old Esclans Valley vines most specifically produces. Pink cherry pits and peach skin add the most delicate and the most specifically floral-stone-fruit secondary aromatics. Cherry blossoms add the most beautiful and the most explicitly floral secondary dimension. Mild spices from the Syrah and Tibouren components add the most subtle and the most structure-adjacent aromatic quality. Citrus and white florals add freshness and lift throughout. The twenty vintages of accumulated winemaking knowledge that define the 20th Anniversary vintage are most apparent here — a nose of unusual precision and unusual elegance for what remains the most broadly accessible and the most widely distributed Provence rosé in the world.

Palate
Dry, fruit-forward, ripe, and fleshy — the combination of qualities that Astor Wines' most memorable characterization captures in its most specifically honest form: "a wine you could get in trouble for drinking too much of." The entry delivers the fresh red berry character most immediately — the Grenache's natural fruit richness at old-vine concentration creating a palate of genuine substance without heaviness. Lively acidity provides the bright, playful structure that carries each sip forward with appetite-stimulating energy. The texture is smooth and round, the finish has great concentration, and — as the official tasting notes specifically promise — no astringent aftertaste. Ripe strawberry, lemon, and white peach carry through the mid-palate. The 20th Anniversary vintage's "sophisticated and pristine" quality is most apparent at the palate's center — a textured berry fruit richness that is more concentrated and more specifically layered than the most casual summer rosé drinking experience suggests.

Finish
Persistent, elegant, and clean. The smooth and round finish that defines Whispering Angel's most universally confirmed quality carries through to a close of genuine length — "a persistent, flavorful finish" in Suckling's own most direct characterization. No astringent aftertaste, as promised. Pure, elegant, and entirely satisfying — the finish that has made Whispering Angel the most repeat-purchased premium rosé in the world for twenty consecutive vintages.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

The dry, lush, fruit-forward character and smooth finish make Whispering Angel one of the most broadly food-compatible wines available — equally at home as an aperitif as alongside a full dinner:

• Seafood and shellfish — oysters, shrimp, lobster, scallops
• Grilled fish — the estate's own most recommended food pairing
• Fresh salads with citrus vinaigrette
• Sushi and sashimi
• Soft cheeses — Brie, fresh goat cheese, burrata
• Charcuterie boards
• Grilled vegetables and Mediterranean preparations
• Brunch through sunset — the wine's own most specifically honest serving occasion