Davids's Drink Diaries - Issue 27

Rosé and red are increasingly sharing the spotlight, with traditional regions producing styles that sit comfortably in a global market that prizes freshness and accessibility. Clarendelle Bordeaux Rosé is a good example. As the first official rosé in the history of Domaine Clarence Dillon, the family behind Haut-Brion. It marks a small shift in their outlook. Merlot and Cabernet are given only a brief maceration to achieve a pale colour and light structure, proof that even the most established names are adapting to the modern appetite for elegant pink wines.

Spain has its own answer in the form of Codorníu’s Ars Collecta Grand Rosé. Codorníu is the oldest sparkling producer in the country, with records stretching back to 1551, and the Ars Collecta range represents its premium edge. The striking bottle, inspired by Gaudí’s Catalan modernism, is as much a cultural statement as it is a nod to the artistry of long-aged Cava. By combining Pinot Noir with native grapes and giving the wine extended lees ageing, Codorníu demonstrates how Cava is increasingly looking to stand alongside Champagne and other international sparkling wines in terms of prestige.

​​Portugal, too, is showing just how dynamic its wine scene has become. The Lisboa region has long supplied value-driven wines to Europe, but projects like Pim Pam Pum Lagar 2022 highlight the new wave of ambition. Produced from Touriga Nacional, Aragonez and Alicante Bouschet, the wine is fermented in traditional open stone lagars, foot-trodden, and left to undergo spontaneous fermentation without temperature control. A short spell in used French oak follows, with no filtration or fining before bottling. It is a raw, authentic approach that connects directly to Portugal’s heritage, while at the same time appealing to modern drinkers seeking wines with character and story.

That same sense of innovation defines Bonfaro’s The Beautiful Lighthouse Tinto 2023. Produced by DFJ Vinhos, one of Portugal’s most decorated wineries, it reflects both the scale and ambition of the Lisboa region. Formerly known as Estremadura, this coastal zone north and west of Lisbon is Portugal’s third-largest producer by volume, but it has built a reputation for some of the country’s best-value table wines. DFJ, under the guidance of José Neiva — recently honoured as “Senhor do Vinho” for his four decades of achievement — has played a central role in this rise. With vineyards across several regions and more than 20 grape varieties at their disposal, DFJ have the tools to craft distinctive, modern wines while retaining a strong sense of Portuguese identity. The Beautiful Lighthouse captures that spirit: approachable, expressive and unmistakably tied to the Atlantic coast.

Whisky, too, is experiencing its own evolution. Bushmills in Northern Ireland remains a defining name, with a history that stretches back to a licence granted in 1608. The Bushmills 12 is a recent addition to the distillery’s range, sitting at the entry point to its age-statement portfolio. Matured in both bourbon and sherry casks, it carries the balanced fruit, malt sweetness and gentle spice that form the house style. Central to its identity is triple distillation, a technique closely tied to Irish whiskey, which lends the smoothness that has helped the category reach such broad international appeal. By adding a 12-year-old expression, Bushmills strengthens its offering while giving drinkers a clear and approachable step into aged Irish whiskey. I’ll be delving deeper into Bushmills 12 shortly, exploring how it fits into the wider revival of Irish whiskey.

Across the globe in Japan, Nikka “From The Barrel” has become an icon in its own right since its release in 1985. A blend of malt and grain whiskies from their Japanese distilleries Miyagikyo and Yoichi, alongside Ben Nevis in Scotland. They have been married for 3 months in used barrels and bottled at a bold 51.4% ABV. It demonstrates the Japanese pursuit of intensity delivered with balance. Its compact cube-shaped bottle has become instantly recognisable, embodying the minimalist, functional design that defines so much of Japanese culture. This is another bottle I’ll be returning to in more depth, looking at how it reflects the evolution of Japanese whisky, having recently visited the distillery. 

Back in Scotland, the Isle of Jura has introduced a notable change to its range. Jura 12 Year Old will now replace the 10-year-old as the entry-level age statement, reflecting consumer tastings that showed a clear preference for the additional maturity. Alongside the whisky itself comes a striking new packaging design with a “taste scale” highlighting the three main flavours in each bottle, in the case of Jura 12, peach, citrus and walnut. By focusing on flavour rather than technical jargon, Jura is addressing one of the biggest challenges in whisky today: making the category more approachable to curious newcomers without losing its authenticity.

Lochlea has always stood out as a farm-to-cask distillery that wears its Ayrshire roots proudly. Since its founding in 2017, the team has leaned into provenance with a clarity you don’t often see in Scotch whisky. Every drop of spirit is distilled from barley grown on Lochlea Farm, matured and blended on-site. That sense of place isn’t just a marketing phrase here – it’s the very DNA of the distillery.

This month, Lochlea takes an important step forward. The distillery is moving beyond its much-loved limited seasonal releases and unveiling its first permanent collection of single malts: The Lochlea Single Estate Range. Alongside the already established Our Barley, the new line-up introduces three whiskies that showcase different shades of the Lochlea character: Orchard & Oak, Dark Briar, and Smoke Without Fire.

Master blender Jill Boyd frames it as a natural evolution. “Our new Single Estate Range marks a shift from our limited, seasonal releases – reflecting both the growing maturity of our stock, our confidence in the distillery and our ability to continue to create consistent, beautiful spirit all onsite here,” she explains. It’s a statement that feels both proud and pragmatic. Lochlea’s early years were marked by experimentation and variety. Now, with cask depth and maturity on their side, the distillery has the building blocks for a permanent core range.

All are bottled at 46%, non-chill filtered, and true to the distillery’s signature style: fruit-led, cereal-backed, and grounded in place.

The whiskies will roll out from 4 September 2025, priced at £50 per bottle

Few distilleries lean into imagination quite like Glenmorangie. Over the years, the Highland distillery has managed to bottle everything from the comfort of snow-flecked evenings to the indulgence of an ice-cream parlour. Now, with its latest limited release, Glenmorangie has turned its gaze to the sensory overload of the spice market.

Glenmorangie - A Tale of Spices is the sixth instalment in the distillery’s award-winning A Tale Of… series, and it may be its boldest yet. The idea came from Director of Whisky Creation, Dr Bill Lumsden, who has long been fascinated by the colours, scents, and flavours of spice markets around the world. Alongside Master Blender Gillian Macdonald, he has channelled that fascination into whisky form – a liquid “mosaic” of spice and sweetness that seeks to capture the vibrancy of these bustling marketplaces.

At the heart of the whisky is something never tried at Glenmorangie before: finishing in Moroccan red wine casks made from French oak. These sit alongside new charred oak, Pedro Ximénez sherry, and shaved, toasted red wine casks – four distinct influences layered over the distillery’s classic bourbon-aged spirit. The result is a complex dram that moves in waves: ginger, cumin, saffron and nutmeg on one side; sugared almonds, rose, and jasmine on the other. A flicker of chilli and eucalyptus ties it all together, adding intrigue to Glenmorangie’s elegant, fruit-led style.

Presented in a vivid, mosaic-patterned box, A Tale of Spices is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the palate, a deliberate nod to the rainbow mounds of spice stalls that inspired it. And recognition has already arrived: the whisky has picked up Gold at the International Spirits Competition 2025.