Roborel de Climens 2017 Finition Sauvignon du Clos Floridène

Aroma: Intense aromas of white fruits like white grapes, nectarine, gooseberry, and lychee, with faint notes of lemon and green apple. Very much like a refreshing young white muscat. Taste: Sweet and fruity on first impression with a balancing touch of acidity. The fruit flavors intensify as it develops, showcasing white grape, pear, peach, sweet red apple, and apricot. The texture is smooth. After several sips, a cereal note emerges, though it seems young and grainy rather than malty. Finish: Brief. Fruity, smooth, and subtly floral. Roborel de Climens is a new company in Bordeaux. The proprietor, Aymeric Roborel de Climens, is a seasoned winemaker now involved in whiskey production. They are not a distillery but an independent bottler that acquires unaged spirit and ages it in select, high-quality French oak barrels. The aging involves two stages. Initially, unaged spirit (from Distillerie Artisanale HEPP in Uberach, Alsace) rests in a mix of new and used French oak barrels (approximately 80% are used barrels also from the HEPP distillery). This period lasts 3-4 years, giving the whiskey structure and body. Following this, the whiskey is finished for 6-12 months in ex-wine casks, with each bottling utilizing a distinct cask type. In this instance, the finishing occurred in ex-sauvignon casks from Clos Floridène in Bordeaux. Sometimes, age is overemphasized in relation to whiskey. Maturity can be beneficial, and aged scotch whiskey is a pleasure to sample, but it's a mistake to assume a universal minimum or ideal age for all whiskey. Young whiskey, like this, can also be enjoyable, similar to how young sparkling wine can be delightful in the appropriate setting. However, I felt this particular expression was quite immature and could have benefited from an additional year in the initial casks. It's a likable, lively whiskey with an remarkably fresh and clean character, but it lacks depth and is unbalanced, overwhelmed by the fruity notes from the wine cask. It's also unfortunate that it was bottled at only 40% alcohol by volume. Tasted at the Sydney Whisky Show on May 15, 2021, this was my 16th tasting from bottle 181 out of 750. It was the first of four Roborel de Climens expressions sampled that day. Reviews for the other three will be published soon. "Average": 78/100 (2.75 stars)