Chateau D’Esclans Garrus Rose

Garrus is the wine that proved rosé could be profound. The flagship cuvée of Château d’Esclans — the Côtes de Provence estate that gave the world Whispering Angel — it sits at the very top of the range, made with the seriousness usually reserved for a great white Burgundy. If you’ve ever wondered how far pink wine can go, this is the answer.

The fruit comes from a single hillside parcel of Grenache vines approaching a hundred years old, rounded out with Rolle (Vermentino). Rather than the cool steel tanks behind most Provence rosé, Garrus is fermented and aged for eleven months in large French oak barrels, stirred on its lees twice a week to build body and a silky, layered texture. The result is pale in the glass but anything but delicate.

Expect concentrated aromas of dried citrus, white peach and passion fruit, a mid-palate of glazed pear and pineapple carried by bright acidity, and the toasty, vanilla-and-spice depth that earns it constant comparisons to vintage Champagne without the bubbles. Full-bodied and structured, it’s built for the table — serve it lightly chilled in a white-wine glass alongside lobster, roast chicken or a board of soft cheeses, and give it a few minutes to open. It will also reward a few years in the cellar.