From a deeply underrated distillery, this Allt-a-Bhainne bottled by the Stewart Whisky Company under their Stiùbhart Single Cask label is a glorious example of what happens when a cask is simply allowed to mature as it should. A natural cask strength of just 44.9% after 24 years makes it clear that this was maturing at an accelerated rate, losing a lot of alcohol and water but the phenolic oils that remain have led to an extremely concentrated whisky; a masterclass in bourbon-wood maturation.

Appearance: Showing a brilliant old-brass colour courtesy of the bourbon wood and that unique concentration through the ageing process.

Nose: this whisky jumps out of the glass with notes almost reminiscent of a great White Burgundy. Crushed river stones and struck flint alongside golden delicious apple and herbes de provence come across on the nose.

Palate: The palate is gentle as one would expect from the lower ABV but it is oily and viscous with a sensation of scented candle followed by sea salt, delicate earthy peat and a return of that golden delicious apple note.

Finish: Extremely long and gentle with the initial notes of crushed stones mingling with sea salt and stewed orchard fruit.

Vinous (95)

The 2019 Clos de Vougeot Quartiers de Marie Haut Grand Cru has a beautifully-defined bouquet with tensile red berry fruit, wonderful focus, cracked black pepper and a touch of hoisin. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine depth and beguiling sense of symmetry that beckons you back for another sip. This is an outstanding Clos de Vougeot that will age supremely well in bottle.

Experience the exquisite Benriach Speyside Single Malt 25YO NV – a remarkable representation of the Speyside region’s ability to produce an extraordinary malt. Distilled at the world-renowned Benriach Distillery, nestled in the heart of Speyside, Scotland, this sublime single malt benefits from a meticulous crafting process and time-honoured traditions.

Matured for 25 years under the watchful eye of their Master Blender, the spirit is aged in an assortment of barrels, conferring complexity and depth to its flavour profile. Upon the palate, one can indulge in a medley of honeyed fruits, caramelised nut and a hint of dark chocolate, finishing with a spicy oak undercurrent.

Crafted for the seasoned malt enthusiast, the Benriach Speyside Single Malt 25YO NV encapsulates the quintessence of high-quality Speyside Malts. Encased in a beautiful presentation box, it offers an unparalleled tasting experience, sure to impress any whisky connoisseur.

Vinous (92-95)

The 2015 Clos de Vougeot is an impressive wine. Huge tannins give the 2015 much of its shape and sense of direction. Plum, crème de cassis, chocolate and lavender all develop in the glass. Ample and powerful in construction, the 2015 possesses very good depth, even if it can't match the pedigree of the Chambertin. This is another wine with a late malo. I hope to have a chance to taste it again from bottle. - Antonio Galloni

Vinous (93)

The 2016 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has a very pretty and pure bouquet, the oak here deftly integrated and allowing the dark cherries, cranberry and raspberry scents to flourish. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins framing the pure confit-like red fruit, just a splash of balsamic towards the finish lending another welcome dimension. I suspect that this will mature with style and panache. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.

We are thrilled to have secured a small parcel of 2011 casks from this rising Speyside superstar and to be able to present them with recent regauges carried out just this past August and compelling prices which combine to suggest excellent upside for the next ten-plus years.

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze has some of the best sites in the Cote d’Or. The Clos de Vougeot 2011 has an exciting intensity throughout that engulfs the palate and exudes power on the long crafted finish. Plenty of wood and warm earth gives great balance to the very fresh red fruit.

Wine Advocate (93-95)

The 2015 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, which comes from the upper slopes of the vineyard, has a rich and opulent bouquet with precocious mulberry and blueberry scents, violet and desiccated orange peel. The 30% whole bunches is discretely embedded in the black fruit, lending crunchiness to the texture. This displays impressive depth; notwithstanding infectious energy and a vibrant finish. Excellent - this is one of the best grand crus from Drouhin-Laroze this vintage.

Burghound (92-95)

Earthy red berry fruit aromas trimmed in a discreet touch of wood spice are laced with earth, forest floor and violet hints. The full-bodied and tautly muscled broad-shouldered flavors possess excellent power and detail on the stunningly long, mildly rustic and youthfully austere finish. This is quite serious and clearly very structured yet it stops short of being overtly old school in style; that said, this will not be an early drinker.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2019 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru comes from Faiveley’s 1.27-hectare parcel. It has a floral nose with potpourri and light lavender aromas that partially occlude the fruit expression. The palate is lithe on the entry with modest depth and quite tertiary in style, and a keen thread of acidity lends freshness on the finish. A little austere in style, it opens with aeration to offer a very minerally finish. Here, it put the Echézeaux 2019 in its place.

Decanter (96)

The wine has an inky dark colour and pronounced aromas of blackberry, fig, smoke and spice. The texture is lush, yet there are firm tannins and the wine never seems overbearing or aggressive - everything is kept in elegant balance. Faiveley is the proprietor of three parcels that total 1.27ha in the Clos de Vougeot, including a portion in Grand Maupertuis and two parcels nearer the bottom. The fruit was picked very ripe (14.5%) and partially destemmed before fermentation, with a very careful extraction and ageing in cask (half new).

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-96)

Pale but pretty colour. Light fruit on the nose. Spared from the frost, and as is typical of such cuvees in 2021, the wine feels more complete – in fact, displaying a particularly long finish. This avoids also the blocky side of Clos Vougeot, showing instead a rather fine fresh but light strawberry fruit. One could almost suggest that it is ethereal for this appellation! Drink from 2030-2038.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Three casks from three different spots. Slightly cloudy cherry red. Really rich and solid. From a very good producer (a long-term proposition) and made in the domaine philosophy. Lots of tannin on the end. Very energetic. Very slightly bitter on the end.

Whisky Base (93)

n/a

Colour: Full, rich dark gold.

Nose: Full, complex aromas with dried berries and sherry-infused malty tones

Palate: Sweetness akin to a fine, aged cognac with incredible oloroso depth and freshness. Fruit, nuts, marzipan and Christmas cake warming spice.

Finish: A whisky you never want to end and it almost feels as if it won't, the finish goes on forever with spice, decadent dark cocoa and forest floor. A final flourish of spiced demerara rum leaves you longing for more.

Colour: Autumnal, red gold.

Nose: Fresh sweetness with fruity Turkish delight with a power akin to the first whiff from a freshly opened bag of Java coffee beans.

Palate: An undeniably decadent sweetness on the palate with salted caramel, dark cocoa and Oloroso-soaked raisins. Sherry comes through with excellent power, bringing with it Sherry and spicy demerara notes.

Finish: Lingering and persistent with alternating layers of sweetness and dry roastiness and peppery spice. Extremely complex and enthralling.

A special, limited edition release from one of Scotland's most iconic distilleries, this fabulous bottling celebrates the long history of Glenfarclas and its independent ownership under the Grant family, the distillery's custodians since 1836. A classically sherried, balanced and refined Speyside, everything we have come to expect and love about Glenfarclas, this is a must have for the collector and a treat for the drinker. A vatting of casks from the past 50 years this combines the best of the mature stock lying in Glenfarclas' historic warehouses with the vibrance and verve that makes the younger bottlings so thrilling and complex. A beautiful rewarding whisky by any measure and a must-have collector's item to boot!

Colour: Amber with dark-gold highlights.

Nose: Complex yet refined with tempting aromas of marmalade, nuts, freshly ground coffee and chocolate.

Flavour: Full-bodied and robust with some oaky tannins courtesy of its exceptional age in sherry barrels.

Finish: Powerful but never overbearing with exceptional balance. Intense and long in the mouth with beautiful finesse and freshness.

One of the hottest commodities on the cask market over the past year is assuredly The Glenrothes. Stablemate to Macallan and Highland Park and under the masterful guidance of Gordon Motion who took the reins in 2009, there are few Speysiders which have the reputation for longevity and excellence as The Glenrothes. After a rapturous reception to our recent offering of the 2011s and a follow up of 2012, we are pleased that we can offer a last butt of 2013 to our customers as well.

Glenrothes is best known as a sherry-aged Speysider and this cask shows why that reputation is so justified; taking the best elements of the wood and developing into a thoroughly impressive malt. Having spent the last decade in first fill butts and taking on some remarkable characteristics as well as impressive depth of colour, they are nothing short of blue chip casks in the early days of their trajectory.

Stored at Glenrothes distillery since distillation, this has not been regauged hence the cask being listed with OLA details but a sample drawn has indicated excellent colour extraction and a recent regauge of the 2011 casks we purchased registered RLA 262.5 which is par for the course on a 1st fill Sherry butt and we would expect this to be regauged in the coming weeks between 262 and 285 RLA or thereabouts with an ABV in the low to mid 60s, indicating excellent longevity.

Tasting Note
Glenrothes’ spirit generally sports a clear barley-driven aromatic profile the key to this cask’s appeal is the classically oily, muscular structure that has become a hallmark of Glenrothes’ extremely age-worthy spirit over the years. The sherry wood is working wonders inregards to the develoment of a complex, decadent flavour profile as well as colour; a not insignificant element of the overall experience, so be sure.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-97)

Only 30% decorticated as this was the last picked and the team had had enough – but makes an interesting contrast with the others. More purple than black in colour. Still has some rose petals which cannot be common in Clos Vougeot! Super deep with some liquorice behind where the fruit darkens, but up front and on the nose it is more dark raspberry and redcurrant. Not quite so fine tannins when not fully decorticated, it would seem. But a huge follow through. If it were not for the utter brilliance of the Echezeaux, I might score this even higher! Tasted: November 2021

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-98)

5 Star Wine. A rich dark purple. The nose is astonishing because of its definition. It is a slightly darker and certainly less lushly appealing style. Peppery notes are in balance but the volume of fruit surmounts. This is a fine and very noble example which could well leap ahead of the 2020 in the rankings. There is such a wealth of fruit, on the cusp of red and black, which returns in the very long finish. Bravo. Drink from 2030-2040.

Wine Advocate (94)

Boillot's 2015 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, which hails from the lieu-dit Grand Maupertui (neighboring Anne Gros' parcel), reveals a brooding bouquet of cassis, plum, musk and incense, framed by toasty new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and multidimensional, fresh and vibrant despite its considerable amplitude and power, with a fine-grained chassis of tannin and a long, sapid finish. This is a rich, lavish Clos Vougeot which should develop beautifully in the cellar.

Decanter (95)

Hudelot-Noëllat's 0.8ha holding is made up of two parcels, both of them in the best bit of the Grand Cru. Aged in 40% new wood, this is a not a blockbuster style by any means, emphasising freshness, balance and harmony instead. Floral, racy and supple, it has well-integrated 40% new wood, some vanilla spice and a poised, elegant finish.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2020 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has a very well-defined bouquet, quite mineral-driven with crushed rock and pressed iris flower combined with dark cherry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine acidity, very focused with quite a strict and saline finish. There is a sense of class here and it has the substance to age well in bottle.

Vinous (90-92)

The 2017 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru includes 20% whole bunches this year. It has a slight mintiness on the nose, quite generous if not as complex as the Corton-Bressandes tasted alongside. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, quite strict and fresh with a chalky texture, and a slightly curmudgeonly finish. Give this three to four years in bottle to lighten up.

Wine Advocate (95-97)

The 2015 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has a detailed, precise bouquet, very pure with ripe dark cherries, kirsch, orange sorbet and subtle graphite aromas. It is one of the classiest that you will come across from this ancient vineyard this year. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannin that feel a little fuller and suppler than the premier cru Vosne-Romanées. Grippy in the mouth with an effervescent finish, this is a long-term Clos de Vougeot that will age effortlessly over 20-30 years.

Decanter (96)

Running from their gate by the Route Nationale to the same height as the Château de la Tour, the Grivots' vines are all in the lower half of the Clos. In hot years like 2017, humid soils can be an advantage, which appears to be the case for this stylish, poised, well-balanced grand cru bottling. The 30% oak is particularly subtle, framing the fresh, mineral-edged finish.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2019 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has a deep color. The beautifully defined bouquet offers blackberry, raspberry, incense and crushed stone aromas, all incredibly detailed and precise. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, perfectly pitched acidity and a structured finish that delivers good grip and a touch of black pepper on the spicy aftertaste. Seriously fine.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-96)

70% crop achieved, so perhaps the helicopter treatment worked. A deeper dense purple, with a serious concentration of fruit here. The advantage of the vines which were less ravaged. Then darker fruit, almost a chocolate nose, a little foursquare as per its terroir, small waves of darker fruit coming through behind, a dark plum for example, then an evenly balanced finish between fruit, tannin and acidity. Drink from 2030-2040.