The peat is fine-grained, much more clearly highland peat than Islay or Coastal as it foregoes the iodine and TCP or boat oil, more reminiscent of an autumn bonfire somewhere in the distance. The sherry brings in the classic Macallan profile to work in perfect balance with that unique peat-inflected edge. A true masterpiece of the bottler's art. Just 690 crystal decanters filled at 47%.

COLOUR: Rich Autumn Gold.
NOSE: Warm and inviting scents of butterscotch meet aromatic heather, encapsulated by orange zesty charcoal Smoke.
PALATE: Satisfyingly, creamy and peppery with aromas of roasted nuts, nutmeg and clove, with hints of Madagascan vanilla, dark chocolate, honey, candied fruits and floral smoke.
FINISH: Long-lingering sweet, oaky spice.

Savour the full-bodied complexity of the Macallan Highland Single Malt Sherry Oak Cask 18YO Bottled 2023 NV, a distinguished spirit renowned globally. Matured exclusively in handpicked Spanish oak sherry seasoned casks for 18 years, this extraordinary dram embodies the Macallan's commitment to exceptional cask management from their Speyside distillery in the Highlands of Scotland.

The Macallan Highland Single Malt Sherry Oak Cask 18YO Bottled 2023 NV offers a symphony of sophisticated flavours. The nose will enchant you with the aroma of dried fruits, ginger, and toffee. Palate-wise, you're introduced to a balanced richness with notes of dried fruits and spice, complemented by hints of vanilla and dark chocolate. The finish is long lasting with a warming oak and a smooth velvety texture.

Hailed as a paragon of its kind, this whisky is the quintessence of The Macallan’s craftsmanship, promising a sublime taste experience.

Wine Advocate (96)

I love the 2015 Clos Martinet, which I find complex and elegant while keeping the Priorat rustic character found in the best vintages, like 2000. It's balanced, and the palate feels ethereal for the concentration it has. The tannins are abundant but very fine-grained, and there is a sense of harmony that is captivating. A great Clos Martinet. I had the chance to drink the 2000 a few days before I tasted this, and it remains one of the best years they have produced. 2015 is also among the best years. The favorites for Sara Pérez are 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2017. 12,000 bottles were filled in April 2017.

Wine Advocate (96)

The flagship 2018 Clos Martinet is the wine that started it all and is still a blend of Garnacha (Tinta and Peluda), Syrah, Cariñena, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell as it was since the beginning but now with a restrained 13.5% alcohol and higher acidity. Clos Martinet is a single five-hectare terraced vineyard planted with clonal material in 1986 on decomposed llicorella slate, iron and big rocks in the soil. The varieties are co-fermented depending on the date picked—at three different ripening times—in two concrete vats and 200-liter oak vats with indigenous yeast and whole clusters. The beginning and end of the élevage was in concrete, and in between they used 2,000- and 4,100-liter oak vats and some 20% in glass demijohn and amphorae. The wine is subtle and a bit shy, insinuating rather than in your face. There is a lot less ripeness than in the past. It's medium-bodied and fluid, fresh and balanced. This is a very elegant Clos Martinet. 11,070 bottles and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2020.

The Mortlach Speyside Single Malt Sherry Finish 21YO Bottled 2020 1999 is a perfect representation of the renowned quality of the Mortlach distillery in Scotland. Richly matured for 21 years in American oak barrels and creatively finished in Oloroso sherry casks, this Scotch elicits a remarkable aroma and distinct flavour profile.

Noteworthy is the warmth of its sherry finish, a result of the maturation in traditional oak casks. The full-bodied spirit reveals tantalising hints of dark chocolate, dry fruits, and spicy undertones, resulting in an unforgettable palate. Taken in conjunction with a long, smooth finish, the Mortlach Speyside Single Malt Sherry Finish 21YO Bottled 2020 1999 speaks volumes about the distillery's commitment to incomparable quality and artisanal craftsmanship.

This fine whisky confirms Mortlach’s reputation for producing robust, complex spirits, a delight to both discerning connoisseurs and curious seekers of fine whisky globally.

Wine Advocate (95+)

A 60/40 blend of Garnacha and Cariñena from the vineyard that names the wine, the 2016 Planetes de Nin saw a similar vinification and aging as the 2017 I tasted next to it, so the differences found were only due to the vintage and the moment of harvest. This is a fresher vintage, with tantalizing aromas that are subtle and elegant, with notes of violets and red cherries, nuanced and ever-changing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied and nicely textured, with very fine tannins and fine chalky minerality. 9,108 bottles were filled in April 2017.

Wine Advocate (98)

The flagship 2018 Clos Mogador is a blend of 45% Garnacha, 29% Cariñena, 16% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon that fermented with natural yeasts and showcases their philosophy—slow fermentations with long maceration and long aging. It matured for 18 months in 2,000-liter oak vats and 30% in 300-liter oak barrels. There was a lot of rain in 2018, and the vineyards were extremely happy and everything seemed very easy; in fact, René Barbier told me it was perhaps too easy... It's an atypical year: It has a gentle profile, and the wines are not as concentrated as those from 2013 (the last rainy year before 2018)—they are more elegant and nuanced. This should develop beautifully in bottle. 27,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2020.

Wine Advocate (95+)

Similar to the Dits del Terra but from a north-facing slope, the 2013 Arbossar is pure Cariñena from an ancient vineyard planted around 90 years ago, and it is always a fresher and more floral style of Cariñena, matured in a Stockinger foudre for some 16 months. I already tasted an unbottled sample last year and it showed great, lively, very red fruit-driven, electric and full of flowers and minerals, and the bottled version has delivered as expected. It's a bright ruby colored red, which is always fragrant and perfumed, more feminine than the Dits del Terra, which is the comparison because both vineyards are in Torroja and the wines share the same price range. The nose reveals bright red fruit, and feels fresher than the 2014. The tannins are ultra-sleek, really elegant and balanced. This is a superb, elegant and fresh Cariñena, without any rusticity. Super! 4,669 bottles were filled in August 2015.

Wine Advocate (95)

The south-facing Cariñena vineyard used for the 2018 Dits del Terra is worked biodynamically and is in the process of being certified organic. The grapes fermented in concrete with indigenous yeasts, and the wine matured in 50% oak foudre and 50% in concrete. The 2019 will be 100% concrete. You can immediately notice the cooler year and the longer ripening cycle here compared with the 2017; there is more depth here, and the quality of the tannins is completely different and provide for a more elegant mouthfeel. The oak is neatly integrated and folded into the structure of the wine. It comes through as medium-bodied, powerful and elegant. It should develop nicely in bottle. 2,006 bottles were filled in September 2020.

Wine Advocate (98)

Already bottled in June 2016, slightly earlier as it usually spends two years in foudre to avoid excessive fatigue because of too much oxygen in the wine, the 2014 Les Tosses is pure Cariñena from an old vineyard on slate soils at some 650 meters altitude. There is none of the rusticity I often link to the grape, this is extremely floral and perfumed, with plenty of violets, a little earthy too. The palate is extremely balanced, and I don't remember tannins as elegant as these in a Cariñena before. There is length, freshness and a very, very long finish. This might very well be the best vintage of Les Tosses so far. This wine feels very young and it's a bit shy, but giving it time it is just amazing. It should be much better with a little more time in bottle. If you decide to pull the cork soon, make sure you give it some time to breathe. There are 1,946 bottles produced. The vineyard is almost two hectares, and Dominik Huber only used part of it for this bottling, and the rest goes to Torroja. But, his idea is to increase the volume so he'll take longer to sell this vintage so he can keep the wine for one year longer in bottle before selling it. Smart thinking...

Based in the small village of Ballindaloch on the banks of the River Spey, situated a stones throw from Glenfarclas, Tomintoul is a modern classic. Known popularly as "the gentle dram with a peaty tang" it breaks with fellow Speysiders by introducing a hint of peat smoke to their distillery's flavour profile.

Less heavily peated than the likes of Ardmore, Tomintoul has begun to gradually build up its reputation around the world and though it can still be considered an insider's secret, a number of independent bottlings from Gordon & MacPhail, Signatory and Douglas Laing have raised the distillery's profile among the cognoscenti and an increased and much improved distillery-bottled range have paved the way for a very bright future for the brand indeed.

Tasting Note
At 7 years of age but with regauged numbers from April 2021 reminiscent of a newly filled cask, this is a superb long term offering that has excellent upside for the 5-year term bringing it to 12 years old. Fresh and barley driven with that classic Tomintoul peaty tang, there is a lot of potential to develop into a very complex, elegant malt.

Decanter (98)

Ripe dark fruits, notes of cherry, dried fig and boysenberry along with sage, black liquorice, potpourri, light rose petal and violet floral notes. Very fine tannins on the palate with a powdery aspect to the wine overall, lengthy acidity leading to a crisp finish. Very open note, but still developing. Certified as 'velles vinyes'.