John Dewar & Sons has unveiled its latest limited expression, Aberfeldy 18 Years Old finished in French Red Wine Casks from the Côte-Rôtie appellation. The Collection launched in 2019 with a 15 Years Old finished in Pomerol casks from Bordeaux, whereupon an 18 Years Old finished in Pauillac casks from the same region followed in 2021.

The Côte-Rôtie, literally ‘roasted slope’, is a red wine appellation located at the northern tip of France’s Rhône Valley. A mere 40 miles long, the area is responsible for a tiny 4–5% of all the wines from the region and is home to some of the steepest vineyards in France.

Côte-Rôtie wines are made predominantly from Syrah grapes, and 20% Viognier can be added. Aberfeldy’s malt master Stephanie Macleod comments: “This style of wine has got these wonderful fruity notes, but also floral notes and so it’s just a match made in heaven for Aberfeldy. These wine casks don’t come around very often, so we when we were offered them, we snapped them up immediately.” Of the whisky’s flavour, she comments: “It’s deeply evocative of an Eton Mess as the sugariness and the sharpness of the berries come through.”

Aberfeldy 18 Years Old, French Red Wine Cask finish is bottled at 43% ABV and has a RRP of £95.