New Arrivals

Established in 1881, Bunnahabhain Distillery is renowned for producing both unpeated and peated whiskies. The Fèis Ìle 2023 release, finished in Manzanilla casks, celebrates the annual Islay Festival. This is one of the few distilleries on Islay that produces a significant amount of unpeated whisky, offering a unique contrast to the typically peated style here. The distillery’s remote location is only accessible by a single-track road, adding to its charm and mystique.

Iain Glover, Spirits Advisor, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Upon first nosing, the immense quality of this distillery shines through – very few distilleries shine as brightly as Glenlivet at its impeccable finest. It opens with sweet citrus and marshmallows, pear drops, and passion fruit notes peeking out of the nose of this single-cask whisky. This cask was chosen because the vanilla and creaminess of the wood seemed in delicious harmony with the apricot, pear and apple from the spirit. It is a veritable fruit bowl of whisky; the only savoury notes appear on the finish, exactly where I want them to be. On top of this, there’s shortbread and crystalised ginger, ensuring immense moreishness overall.

Rob Whitehead, Spirits Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The first of a succession of brilliant wines that have emerged from this previously moribund estate over the last decade, the fully mature 2000 Lascombes is an outstanding effort. Notes of cedarwood, roasted herbs, incense, black cherries, and currants emerge from this medium-bodied, evolved Margaux. Consume it over the next 7-8 years.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 29/06/2010

Very dark crimson – looks much bluer than the 1996. Still bluer than the 2004. Savoury, complex, really rather gorgeous nose even if far from the first flush of youth. Sumptuous nose even if on the palate it’s more austere than the nose suggests. Quite grainy tannins on the finish but lovely balance. Very fresh.

Drink 2012 - 2025

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (October 2015)

The colour is pale gold. The nose is cool and neat, fresh almonds and candied citrus steeped in camomile tea; the palate deep, fiery and complete. A Fino-style brightness leads a reel of roasted peach, haysmoke, pinhead oats and spiced white pear, flecked with harbour wall rock salt. The finish is firm and fresh, framed by the sweet evolution of 18 years in Sherry butt. Time in the glass, and a discretionary drop of water, is recommended to reveal the depth and complexity of this resplendent dram. 

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (May 2022)

Initially I had my reservations about this controversial wine. Question marks have hovered above the vintage across Bordeaux since release, many Chateaux claiming their 2003s are great but atypical. Let me set the record straight, this 2003 Ch. Latour is more than great, and quintessential Latour. The nose is rich and pure Pauillac. In the mouth the ripeness really shines through.

The wine builds and builds, the volume of flavour is outstanding but all kept in check by a beautiful structure. The wine is complete and now beautifully integrated with an endless finish. Of course, this icon will age almost indefinitely but has the balance to give some much pleasure now. If you love Latour, your cellar is not complete without this.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Also a stunning wine, the 2003 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux is a sleeper of the vintage. Much fresher and less evolved than I would expect a second wine to be from this vintage, it is a Margaux-like effort with a flowery character, good precision and freshness, red and black currant notes, and an attractive, medium-bodied, surprisingly concentrated mouthfeel. It is clearly one of the finest second wines made in this vintage.

Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (August 2014)

Ch. Ormes de Pez, St. Estèphe is a well known chateau that the Cazes family (Ch. Lynch Bages etc) has given more attention to in recent years. It shows the concentration and balance of 2005, a great year, as well as a sweetness of fruit which gave it real appeal.
Tom Cave, Cellar Plan Manager - Dec 09

The Jean-Michel Cazes estates have had a great year in 2005, and this one is no different. This is benchmark St Estèphe, with lots of earthy minerality, this has far more generosity than usual. Extremely accessible, the spicy nose with notes of licorice and pepper leads on to a rich balanced palate with lashings of sweet loganberries and cassis with tobacco hints. This is at once classy, concentrated and quaffable, but with great ageing potential too.
Simon Staples, BBR Fine Wine Director

The 2005 Pontet-Canet is a heady, exotic wine. Inky dark fruit, mocha, chocolate, liquorice, spice and tobacco are front and centre. Readers will find an unabashedly opulent, full-throttle 2005 with quite a bit more oak influence and overall extraction than is the norm these days. Even so, the 2005 is a young, young wine with a bright future. This is one sexy Pauillac, that's for sure.

Drink 2025 - 2045

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (April 2021)

An intensely earthy and somewhat riper nose of blueberry, plum cassis and dark berry fruit complements well the full-bodied, rich and broad-shouldered flavours that possess more refinement than is typical for young Clos de Vougeot as the tannins are dense but fine and lend a dusty texture to the impressively persistent and youthfully austere finish. Very fine if not truly exceptional quality.

Drink 2015+

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (April 2009)

Also a Riserva, hence 42 months in large Slavonian oak followed by six months in local chestnut barrels, Ugolaia is a single-vineyard Brunello di Montalcino from a 1.3 hectare plot that has ideal soil, microclimate and aspect (the latter guaranteeing sun all day long). It has such graceful presence, and reflects truly the classic 2008 vintage. It’s so fine, with pedigree, purity, plenty of life and energy, all tightly interwoven and exquisitely balanced.
David Berry Green

Pichon-Lalande's 2008 is, in our opinion, the chateau's best wine since 2002. With big, soft tannins, good fruit concentration, lots of oaky spice and a juicy, fruity finish, this displays classic Lalande elegance with the rounded, plump, fleshy fruit of the vintage. Not quite as majestic as next-door neighbour Latour's 2008 perhaps, but this is very fine nonetheless.

Like the Chambertin, this sports a somber but even more complex nose that is actually surprisingly elegant with lovely aromatic purity to the very dense aromas of red and blue pinot fruit plus violet notes that complement the notably ripe, earthy and serious medium full-bodied flavours brimming with dry extract that renders the firm tannins almost invisible on the precisely detailed and hugely long finish where the classic hallmark austerity of young Clos de Vougeot is well represented. I quite like this, but note that plenty of cellar time will be required first.

Drink from 2023 onward

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (April 2010)

On the nose, rich aromas of dark chocolate and figs mingle with a touch of brine, a hallmark of Inchgower's coastal spirit. the palate reveals the Pedro Ximénez cask's influence, as treacle toffee and ripe plums combine with raisin and sweet dates. Subtle hints of roasted nuts and a whisper of sea spray create a delightful balance, leading to a finish that delivers lingering notes of dried fruit and gentle spice. 

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Château Beychevelle’s 2009 has a beautiful nose of ripe bramble fruit, dark cassis, and a smooth but highly concentrated palate of red and black fruits. The Merlot content (44%) is surprisingly well-balanced here, considering the turbo-charged nature of some of the Right Bank wines. Beychevelle have blended it perfectly with their 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to make a truly harmonious wine.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

It seems like a smoky beast at first nosing, but it's not such a monster on the first sips. A touch of water brings out an astonishing elegance and complexity, retaining the robustness and full flavour of this rugged Highlander. Leather, blood orange, and rich, ripe tobacco leaf are prevalent, with a delicious earthy salinity underpinning this heavily peated beauty.

Sam Phillips, Commercial Manager - Spirits, Berry Bros. & Rudd

More dense and compact than 2009, the 2010 Feytit-Clinet offers a huge, rich, backward style in its smoked dark fruits, graphite, crushed rock, violet, and truffle aromas and flavours. Like the 2009, it's a massive, rich, incredibly concentrated wine. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two to three decades.

Drink 2022 - 2051

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (October 2018)

Absolutely fantastic! Rich, opulent and creamy-textured with the spectacular Léoville-Las Cases signature deftly etched across it from nose to finish, packed full of perfect dominating red fruit and a stunning finish.  Usually Las Cases blows this out of the water, but not so in 2010 – it’s the best any of us can recall: a must-have.
(75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc)
Simon Staples, Fine Wine Director

The 2012 Barolo Cannubi Boschis is a solid and tighter wine compared to the 2012 Le Vigne. Having said that, it veers close to being too austere and hard-bodied, especially at this young stage of its life. Of Sandrone's two new Barolo releases, this wine definitely needs more time to evolve and soften with extra years of bottle aging. The tannins are more evident and the wine's firm backbone acts to support dark fruit flavors with distant accents of spice, licorice and tobacco. - Wine Advocate

In my view, Henri Lurton's wonderfully understated Second Growth is one of the most consistent wines of the Médoc. Never forced or pushed, it is a true and usually close-to-perfect expression of the vintage. 2012 is no exception, with the vintage conditions determining the cépage and over 30% of the blend provided by rich and succulent Merlot. Delicate pepper and ripe cherries are lifted by a beautiful crunch of warm and voluminous fruit, while the finish is very elegant and long, with waves of expressive red fruits, making this another fine effort.

Jake Dean, Director of UK & Ireland, Berry Bros. & Rudd

This estate has been under new ownership since 2010 and the 2012 is a great success story.  The fruit shows luscious redcurrants and the overall style is really soft and attractive. It is the finish, however, where the wine really shows off a wonderful sapidité (a French term meaning an almost salty, mineral savouriness). The château's director, Guillaume Pouthier, puts this down to using ripe stalks in the blend, a difficult method frequently used in Burgundy but very rarely seen in Bordeaux. This 2012 is very much a success.

Some 140,000 bottles are produced (which is amazing considering the quality). 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

This is a fantastic wine. The 2013 Bolgheri Superiore Guado Al Tasso reveals soaring aromas of dark fruit, plum, blackberry, savoury spice, tobacco and leather. The results are seamless, harmonious and generous in intensity. This is the quintessential red blend from Coastal Tuscany, and the 2013 vintage is particularly rooted in a profound sense of place. I am reminded of the macchia mediterranea, or Mediterranean shrub, that grows so wild and free in this untouched part of Tuscany. This excellent wine shows its winemaking pedigree, but make no mistake: It is a proud Tuscan at heart.

Drink 2017 - 2035

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (October 2016)

Glowing purple with superbly elegant fruit on the nose and a concentrated wealth of ripe red fruit, it is beautifully balanced and very long. A real treat. This vineyard has been in excellent form for the last few vintages.

Despite being a very late season, Patrice compares 2013 to the fruit of early vintages such as 2007 and 2011, but with more stuffing. It also reminds him of 1980, a particularly successful vintage Chez Rion. The 2013 crop is small, though, a touch more than 2012 but less than 2011. They employed two sorting tables, and since the grapes which reached the vats were all healthy, they used less sulphur during vinification.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc.

Just below Ch. Margaux and Ch. Palmer in the Margaux pecking order, this historic estate created a stylish wine in 2014. Darker fruits dominate, and the wine expresses a tension that suggests there is more to come in the future. Blackberries and a touch of cassis add real appeal. There is a generous core of velvety fruit, and the most appropriate descriptor for the entire tasting experience is ‘charming’. The nose has creamy notes, and it’s really open and expressive. The fruit is round, too, with an enticing spicy edge on the finish. It has good length and attractive, refreshing acidity that dances in the mouth.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, Faiveley's 2014 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers felt a little diffuse on the nose compared to its peers. But it melds together with aeration, offering pretty dark plum and raspberry scents, later pressed flowers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grip and structure, a little rough round the edges but well balanced, although the finish just needs more flesh and body since it seems to attenuate, ossify a little, and it leaves you wanting more. Tasted September 2017.
Neal Martin - 31/10/2017

20% whole clusters

Subtle floral nuances add a touch of elegance to the spicy red currant and cherry-suffused nose. Once again, there is a sleek mouthfeel to the mineral-laden middle-weight flavours that possess lovely delineation. All this is wrapped in a moderately austere finish where the acidity is mildly drying.

Drink from 2019 onward

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (April 2016)

A fine, dense, red-purple colour and a classical Vosne-Romanée nose: how else to describe it? The fruit swells to the back of the palate with such poise, presence, charm and precision. Absolutely beautiful.

Étienne Grivot reports better yields in 2014, about halfway between the miserable crops of the previous four vintages and what would count as a very good year. The grapes are de-stemmed but preserved fully intact using the newest model of destemmer. They were totally healthy in 2014 and Mathilde Grivot describes the wines as being accessible, fresh, yet still complex. We would add that they are – yet again – amongst the finest of the whole Côte.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc.

Patrick Maroteau's excellent 2015 from this Fourth Growth estate shows real purity, with great precision and ripe tannins that grip and offer an intense focus—the rich, fresh, spicy nose of damsons and blackberry fruit oozes class. There is precision here, a polish—quite simply harmonious. The wine tastes glorious, just as great wine should taste: crunchy, pure and fresh fruit, high acidity, silky ripe tannins and nice balance. This is a triumphant wine, with a typical and classic blend for this great estate and phenomenal length. It's really elegant and one of our favourites—a must-buy this year.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Composed of 54.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41.7% Merlot and 4.1% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Le Pauillac de Chateau Latour opens with a deep garnet-purple colour and beautifully expressive notes of crushed blackberries, chocolate-covered cherries and black raspberries with touches of baking spices and potpourri. Medium-bodied, finely crafted, refreshing and with wonderful purity in the mouth, the fruit is supported by velvety tannins and finishes long and spicy.

Drink 2020 - 2034

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (March 2020)

Antoine observed that his higher vineyards have loved the 2017 vintage. This has much more bulk than usual, but it is well-toned, resolving to an assertive and intense finish, through which the year’s bright freshness glitters like a quartz lode. Drink 2023-2031.

Antoine feels that 2017 is a little less rich than 2015, but also fresher. He likes wines with body, so the freshness is a bonus, adding another dimension. He will bottle in December and January; he feels that after a warm summer, two winters in barrel is too long and earlier bottling is necessary to capture the fruit. He now wonders whether he should have bottled his 2015s sooner. Harvest began on 31st August – even for his Blagny, which used to be one of the last to ripen, indicative of the warming conditions in the region.

Poruzots is a vineyard quick to ripen and, in an early year like 2017, care is needed. Certainly the wine shows an opulent side in 2017 but the year’s in-built freshness pulls the finish together. A potentially garrulous wine that has learnt some self-awareness. Drink 2023-2029.

Winemaker Brian Sieve draws comparisons between the white wines of 2017 and 2014, explaining that the texture, weight and freshness are very similar in both years, although 2017 has perhaps a little more fruit ripeness, along with excellent tension and persistence. He believes that this same freshness and brightness in the reds will provide ageing capacity, pointing out that they worked hard to restrict the yield of Pinot Noir to achieve riper grapes. Overall slightly less whole-bunch fermentation was used as Brian felt the stems and fruit were not as ripe as in richer vintages.

This is comprised of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.

The warmth of the vintage shows immediately on the nose, with prominent sweet pear and apple notes. There are subtle suggestions of shortbread and marzipan. The mousse is gentle and silky smooth, a hallmark of Pol Roger. The palate carries hints of redcurrants and raspberries from the Pinot Noir, along with a touch of lime citrus and salinity that Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs provides. Baking spices and fresh pastry characters unfurl with time in the glass. This provides almost immediate drinking pleasure – but with five years in the cellar, it will be sublime.

Paul Keating, Senior Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2018 Volnay Clos des Angles 1er Cru comes from a vintage, after which half the vineyard was uprooted due to the aged vines that were planted in the 1950s. It has quite an intense bouquet of blueberry and wild strawberry fruit, a little more precocious than the Les Fremiets. The pure, poised palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and black cherry and strawberry pastilles flavours. It is very smooth toward the finish, which feels caressing. This Clos des Angles will be approachable and difficult to resist in its youth.

Drink 2022 - 2038

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (January 2020)

Pitures is François’s only Volnay from the north of the village. It’s a higher vineyard close to Pommard and stylistically very different; François refers to it as a distant cousin. Certainly, there’s a Pommardian dash about the wine, with a sturdiness and more pronounced tannins. In 2019, it works really well, with the deeper creases seemingly ironed out.

Drink 2025 - 2038

Berry Bros. & Rudd

This too is sufficiently reduced to render the nose impossible to read. There is a bit more flesh to the delicious and perfumed medium weight flavors that also flash plenty of minerality on the saliva-inducing finish that is just a bit firmer. This lovely effort is very Vosne. Outstanding! - Burghound

Sisters María and Cristina at Amézola de la Mora have produced another exceptional Rioja for us. The nose is fine, with notes of fresh strawberry; the palate is succulent and pure. The lovely weight of juicy, ripe raspberry fruit makes this mouth-coating and refreshing, while a nutmeg twist completes the long finish. This is a subtle style of Rioja, as charming as the sisters themselves. Moreover, the bottle is capsule-free, which helps to reduce packaging waste.

Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Our Good Ordinary Claret is an early-drinking style of red Bordeaux. The 2021 vintage combines Merlot (52%) with Cabernet Sauvignon (44%) and a dash of Cabernet Franc (4%). This was a “classic” year for red Bordeaux: lighter-style wines defined by purity, lower alcohol and crisp acidity. The nose here is bright, brimming with red and morello cherries, with a subtle lift of raspberry leaf and a hint of sweet spice. The palate is juicy and smooth, layered with crunchy red and black fruit. This is versatile and, as always, reliably delicious.

Georgina Haacke, Bordeaux Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

We’ve partnered again with the Cazes family of Château Lynch-Bages for our Pauillac. It is a delicious blend of Merlot (55%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), selected from the estate’s younger vines. The nose is rich and inviting, offering cassis, brambles, damsons and a note of sweetness from a year in oak barrels. The palate is full and intense, with grippy tannins framing the dark, spiced berry fruit. This would partner well with a rack of lamb or rib of beef. Enjoy it now or over the next couple of years.

Georgina Haacke, Bordeaux Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd 

This is a classic red Bordeaux blend of Merlot (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (40%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). The nose is immediately inviting with red cherry and delicate floral notes. With ripe red and black fruit flavours, the palate is framed wonderfully by subtle, ripe tannins and lingering spice. This is a great example of the freshness and intensity of the 2022 vintage. It makes a great pairing with most hearty, savoury dishes.

Georgina Haacke, Bordeaux Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

We’ve partnered once again with Château Haut-Bailly for our delicious 2022 Pessac-Léognan. Made from the estate’s younger vines, the blend is based on Cabernet Sauvignon (45%) and Merlot (35%), alongside a notably high proportion of Cabernet Franc (18%) and a dash of Petit Verdot (2%). The nose is gently floral, with swirling red fruits and a hint of sweet spice. The palate is rich and textured, combining dark and hedgerow fruits with a bright redberry crunch and refreshing acidity. It pairs wonderfully with meat, game or rich mushroom dishes.

Georgina Haacke, Bordeaux Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

We’ve worked once again with the magical Merlin family to bring you this distinguished and characterful Pouilly-Fuissé. Carefully selected fruit from late-ripening vineyards in Vergisson, Fuissé and Chaintré gives a wine with freshness and energy. This offsets the generous stone and citrus fruits beautifully, combining with subtle oak spice, yielding a complex and layered wine. It pairs beautifully with white meats, seafood and goat’s cheese. Moreover, the bottle is capsule-free, helping reduce packaging waste.

Adam Bruntlett, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2023 vintage was ideal for Gavi. The Cortese grape benefitted from the warmth of the year while still retaining its characteristic elegance and freshness, aided by the area’s calcareous soils. The palate is beautifully expressive, with sweet, crisp apple, ripe pear and peach skin. This is underscored by bounding, zippy acidity and a refreshing chalky bite. It is a quintessential Northern Italian white.

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

We are delighted to be working with Château La Mascaronne’s brilliant team to produce this superb, terroir-driven rosé. The nose is full of juicy redcurrants and wild strawberries, with a refreshingly bright lift. The palate has the wonderfully pure, stone-pebble element of the property’s unique limestone-based vineyards. An herbal twist of wild oregano completes the delicious, salivating finish. Serve straight from the fridge alongside fish, charcuterie or salads.

Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Oooooooh, yes, this is absolutely tip-top Balvenie! As so very often, Malt Master David Stewart MBE has brought forth a whisky of extraordinary class and surety. Custard-warmed pastries and a beguiling hint of curry leaf support a supremely welcoming nose that gladdens my old-fashioned whisky-loving heart. The palate is utterly without artifice, showing macadamias and shortbread generously smothered in various honeys. The finish is flawless, simply sweetness and light, each in their correct proportions. Pair this with crumbly biscuits and the best symphony Orchestra you can access. Please drink this, share it, and smile.

Rob Whitehead, Spirits Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

With Islay’s historic reputation of producing abundantly smoke-laden whiskies, Bowmore have crafted something meticulously balanced with their 15-year-old. Enticing aromas of freshly baked banana bread and treacle lay the platform for the rich, rounded woodsmoke, poised with caramel sweetness. A lasting briny finish completes the picture, so typical of many of the whiskies of Islay. Aged in ex-Bourbon casks and finished in Oloroso Sherry casks, the 15-year-old is the perfect gateway for someone looking to immerse themselves in the world of peated whisky.

Eddie Garner, Business Development Executive, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Disgorged January 2018. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.

The NV Bulle de Rosé is a pretty wine, even if it is a bit less exciting than the other Champagnes in this range. Pale-coloured, light and gracious, the Bulle de Rosé is an enjoyable drink. Even so, I think Fred Savart could do more to elevate this wine to a level where it is closer to his other Champagnes. The Bulle de Rosé is the same base as the Accomplie, approximately 65% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, with about 5% still red Pinot.

This is another stellar set of wines from Fred Savart. There is not much else to say. Minimal handling allows for a very pure expression of the sites Savart works with. As always, these are rich, vinous Champagnes built on textured,multi-dimensional profiles.

Drink 2022 - 2028

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (July 2018)

The blend of the 245 is 41% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, and the rest Meunier.

Part of a new collection that’s just reaching the market now, the NV Champagne Collection 245 is based on the 2020 vintage. (The trilogy of vintages in the collection are from the early ripening 2018, which is lighter and fruitier, the 2019, richer and more powerful, and the 2020, which is somewhere between the other two.) It has a reflective straw hue and offers notes of fresh almond, bread dough, and fresh flowers.

Medium-bodied on the palate, with a fruity nature, it’s crunchy and fresh in the glass, with a lovely chalky texture, good refinement, a note of fresh nectarine, and a clean finish. Dry, but with a delicate rounded feel and some depth throughout, it opens to show more of its salinity and the delicate reductive smoke that frames the wine with oyster shell-like umami character. It’s approachable now but will age with ease.

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (December 2024)

This is Matthieu’s calling card, made from a selection of his vineyards across Verzenay, Verzy and Villers-Marmery. A complex wine, this was based on the vibrant 2021 harvest, with 45% reserve wine added to bring depth and spice. This cuvée is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and was vinified in oak before spending a short 15 months on lees, retaining fruit and vineyard character. Its nose is expansive, with earthy layers and citrus lift, while the palate is fine: compact, with notes of red apple, stone fruit and a firm mineral grip.

Drink 2024 - 2034

Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Here, The Glen Grant distillery has produced a whisky that is a “must-have” for any enthusiast. It is aged patiently in first and second-fill Bourbon barrels, with water purifiers in both the pot and wash stills. Meticulously balanced and refreshingly approachable, the 18-year-old is bright and floral. Complex layers of marzipan, vanilla and coconut lead to the long and nutty finish. This is sure to be a favourite.  

Eddie Garner, Spirits Advisor, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Highland Park Distillery, founded in 1798 on Orkney, is one of Scotland’s northernmost distilleries. It is known for its balanced peated whiskies. Highland Park uses traditional floor-malting and locally cut peat, contributing to its distinctive flavour. The distillery’s Viking heritage is reflected in its branding and packaging, celebrating Orkney’s rich history. This 25-year-old is a hallmark of the distillery’s ability to craft aged single malts.

Iain Glover, Spirits Advisor, Berry Bros. & Rudd

This installment of The Macallan’s “A Night on Earth in Scotland” series is a wonderful limited-edition single malt, with packaging created in collaboration with acclaimed Chinese artist Nini Sum. Both the whisky and the packaging pay tribute to the aromas and flavours of New Year in China: toasted oak, rice popcorn, milk candy, sunflower seeds, and the sweet fragrance of steamed rice.

My very first impressions of this whisky are of quiet confidence. Subtle in hue and traditional in outlook, this has the old-fashioned, reliable core strength of a barrel-hauling cooper – as opposed to the oiled, rippling physique of a chiselled bodybuilder.

The palate shows the time-honoured rewards of the cask-makers craft. This is nutty, softly spicy, and reassuringly toothsome. All the while, those woody notes gently cushion and support a thread of gorgeous old malt, woven into the fabric of this dram thirty years ago.

This is a quiet one to think about; maybe one to accompany a non-sensationalist documentary podcast, with a few nibbles of well-aged Comté cheese if possible.

Rob Whitehead, Spirits Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (March 2023)