AS AN OENOLOGIST FOR 20 YEARS IN BORDEAUX, I DEVELOP 100% FRENCH WHISKEYS. REFINED IN WINE BARRELS TO GIVE EACH EDITION A UNIQUE CHARACTER, IMBUED WITH THE FLAVOR OF GRAPE VARIETIES AND TERROIRS.
— Aymeric Roborel de Climens
WHY
GRAPE VARIETY
FINISHES?
“FRANCE HAS AN IMPRESSIVE WEALTH OF TERROIRS EXPRESSED THROUGH A MULTITUDE OF GRAPE VARIETIES. IT IS THIS WEALTH OF TASTE AND FLAVORS THAT I WANTED TO TRANSCRIBE IN MY WHISKEYS. IT IS ALSO BECAUSE BEHIND THESE BARRELS THERE ARE MEN, AND PARTNERS, WHO EACH IN THEIR OWN WAY PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT.”
WHISKY BLENDS
SINGLE MALT WHISKIES
MERLOT FINISH
Refined in red wine barrels 100% Merlot from Château Guadet
Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Émilion
43% vol.
COMPOSITION: French barley, malted, brewed, and distilled in France.
CHARACTERISTICS: Elegant, intense, red fruits and spices
COLOUR: Copper color
NOSE: Rhubarb, candied cherry, plum jam, woody, slightly smoky
MOUTH: Powerful and fruity attack, great length, spicy finish
Merlot is a red grape variety that was considered a secondary grape variety for a long time until the phyloxera crisis at the end of the 19th century. It has since won its letters of nobility, particularly in Pomerol and Saint Emilion where it reigns as a lord. It produces supple, fruity wines with soft tannins which makes it very accessible when young without diminishing its great aging potential.
SAUVIGNON FINISH
Refined in white wine barrels 100% Sauvignon from Clos Floridène
Cru des Graves de Bordeaux
40% vol.
COMPOSITION: French barley, malted, brewed, and distilled in France.
CHARACTERISTICS: Delicate, elegant, floral, and white fruits
COLOUR: Pale yellow
NOSE: Muscat, pear, peach, grape, white flowers
MOUTH: Delicate and round attack, Nice length, Fresh and suave finish
Sauvignon blanc is an old grape variety that was formally identified during the first half of the 18th century in Gironde and in the Loire Valley. Chardonnay is the most cultivated grape variety in the world. It is very appreciated for its very easily identifiable organoleptic qualities. It is recognized by its floral notes of acacia flowers, its aromas of white fruits (peach, grape, etc.), and above all its notes of citrus fruits and grapefruit. To produce a French whiskey with a finish in barrels having contained Sauvignon blanc, it's looking for freshness that comes from the acidity of the wine as well as floral and white fruit notes.
SEMILLON FINISH
Refined in barrels of sweet white wine 100% Sémillon from Château Doisy-Daëne
Grand Cru Classé de Barsac Sauternes
46% vol.
COMPOSITION: French barley, malted, brewed, and distilled in France.
CHARACTERISTICS: Bright, complex, powerful, and fresh.
COLOUR: Golden yellow
NOSE: Candied apricot, saffron, orange peel, almond, blond tobacco
MOUTH: Creamy and delicate attack, great length, gourmet and silky finish
Sémillon is a white grape variety originating from Sauternes and Barsac where it produces the greatest sweet wines in the world. If in its raw state it turns out to be a not very aromatic grape variety, the intervention of a fungus: botrytis cinerea, will develop in its natural defenses which prove to be as many precursors of aromas. It is ultimately the magic of noble rot that is at the origin of the unequaled character of the great wines of Sauternes and Barsac. These wines are characterized by complex and persistent notes of yellow fruits such as apricot, muscat, candied fruit, and almond, often enhanced by exotic notes.
ROLLE FINISH
Refined in dry white wine barrels 100% Rolle from Château Sainte Marguerite Cru Classé from Côtes de Provence
40% vol.
COMPOSITION: French barley, malted, brewed, and distilled in France.
CHARACTERISTICS: Delicate, elegant, white fruits and blond tobacco
COLOUR: Golden yellow
NOSE: Brugnon, apricot, toasted, almond
MOUTH: Delicate and round attack, good length, fresh and tense finish
Rolle blanc is a grape variety originating from Madeira which would have migrated via Spain, Sardinia before reaching Italy (where it is known as Vermentino) and finally towards the south of France. It produces intense white wines characterized by mineral, hawthorn, and white fruit notes. Associated with red Grenache, it gives the most sought-after rosés in the world. Producing a French whiskey with a Rolle finish means looking for a sweet and fruity malt that underlines the soft vanilla notes of aging.