Sitting in the beautiful and spacious tasting room last summer, I tasted through the latest offerings of Chateau L’Escarelle. There were no duds in this lineup. The wines brilliantly reflected the salty terroir that the vines thrive in. The house is located in the heart of Provence, and has 100 hectares of vines that flourish in their 1,000 hectares of beautiful countryside land. They even have world-class accommodations there that are a must visit for anyone who has never been to this remote and highly scenic part of Provence. I know I cannot wait to be back.
Current owner Yann Pineau has helped the property earn the highest level of agriculture certification (Level 3) in France.
The estate itself dates back to the early 18th century as in the 20th century the estate was purchased by François Joseph Fournier, a Belgian adventurer who made his fortune in Mexico and who already owned the island of Porquerolles. Then in 2014 the house was sold to current owner Yann Pineau who sought to make the land both biodiverse and organic. In 2016 the site was given a Level 3 (highest level) of agriculture certification by the French ministry.
I had a chance to taste the latest wines by this house and was once again amazed with the overall quality. Their entry level wine, the 2022 Chateau L’Escarelle Vin De Provence Rose (OB, 90) shows remarkable complexity a a downright killer price (under 20 dollars USD). Don’t miss out on the 2022 Chateau L’Escarelle ‘Les Deaux Anges’ Rose (OB, 92) which shows off a silky texture and is wonderfully rich on the mouth, with salty accents from this terroir. Learn more about this outstanding Provence house at https://www.escarelle.fr/?lang=en and here are my reviews of the beautiful Rose wines by Chateau L’Escarelle.
2022 Chateau L’Escarelle Vin De Provence Rose- Coming from this 1,000 hectare property with 100 hectacres of vines, this shows salted nectarine, wet stone and red raspberry flavors alongside a good sense of tension. Enjoy this seriously good value now. Drink 2023-2027- 90
2022 Chateau L’Escarelle ‘Rumeurs’ Rose- The outstanding 2022 Chateau L’Escarelle ‘Rumeurs’ Rose combines Cinsault with Grenache and Syrah. This shows a soft texture with layers of kiwi, Yakima cherry and shades of juicy peach. The underlying finesse and salty undertones really make this tick. Drink 2022-2028- 91
2022 Chateau L’Escarelle ‘Les Deux Anges’ Rose- The 2022 Chateau L’Escarelle ‘Les Deux Anges’ Rose is a fantastic blend of 60% Syrah, 25% Grenache, and 15% Cinsault. Coming from vines set on limestone soils, this was aged on the lees before bottling. This comes off wonderfully smooth throughout the drinking experience. A very pretty core of red fruits greet you with red rose water and shades of honeydew melon. Drink 2023-2029- 92
2022 Chateau L’Escarelle ‘Le Pacha’ Rose- Named after a rare form of butterfly found on the estate, the 2022 ‘Le Pacha’ blends Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah and is a collaboration between Alice Pelestor (Cellar master) & Patrick Lobier (Wine grower). It comes off very pretty with bright guava and strawberry fruit flavors alongside kumquat zest and wet limestone accents. This is beautiful wine to enjoy now and over the next seven years. Drink 2023-2030- 92