To celebrate The Drinking Hour’s 250th episode, host David Kermode welcomes special guest Sacha Lichine of Château d’Esclans to talk about building what is arguably the world’s most famous rosé brand.
Lichine begins by discussing his background in wine and his motivation when he made the move to Provence from a classified estate in Bordeaux. He tells Kermode how the popularity of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough offered inspiration when conceptualising his wines, the challenges of creating a pale style of rosé that delivered complexity and the winery’s experiments with oak. Lichine also explains how the difficulty in getting the quality of his rosés recognised by wine professionals is a recurring issue since buying the estate in 2006.
As Lichine prepares to end his time at the estate after 20 years, he shares what the future has in store, including details of his new mezcal venture.
Discover more episodes of The Drinking Hour with David Kermode here.
