Caves d'Esclans, The Beach by Whispering Angel, Coteaux d'Aix en Provence, France 2021

The baby brother wine to the hugely popular Whispering Angel rosé, which has become the go-to Provence pink in the same way that Cloudy Bay has become the go-to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for a certain crowd. Production of Whispering Angel jumped from just 130,000 bottles in its first (2006) vintage to six million bottles in 2017. This less expensive incarnation is made from grapes sourced from across the Coteaux d'Aix en Provence appellation. It's a blend primarily of Grenache Blanc, Cinsault and Syrah, but also contains small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and other grapes. Just like the packaging design, the wine itself will have broad appeal, fairly commercial in style, with grapefruit citrus, melon and peach melba fruit, crisp and clean. I'd like to see a little more refinement, but it's a fun fruit salad of a rosé.