Nose: Nectarine, peach, apricot, brioche. Toasted almond, grassy notes and fresh oak cask aromas. Palate: A delicate arrival with a hint of acidity and some light spice, but squarely focused on fruity flavours. Slightly drier on the palate than the sauvignon finished expression I tasted prior to this, not as soft but elegant and crisp. As it sits on the palate it gains a hint of sweetness. The texture is pleasant with a poised and reserved oiliness. Finish: Short. Elegantly fruity with a touch of oak tannin in the aftertaste. Roborel de Climens is a recently formed company based in Bordeaux. The owner, Aymeric Roborel de Climens, is an experienced winemaker who has turned his attention to whisky production. The company is not a distillery but rather an independent producer that sources new-make spirit and matures it in selected, top quality French oak casks. The maturation process involves two phases. First, new-make spirit (sourced from Distillerie Artisanale HEPP in Uberach, Alsace) is matured in a combination of new and refill French oak casks (about 80% are refill casks and also come from the HEPP distillery). This phase lasts 3-4 years and provides structure and body to the whisky. The whisky is then finished for 6-12 months in ex-wine casks, each expression being matured in a specific type of cask. This was the second Roborel de Climens whisky I tasted at the Whisky Show and in this case the finish was in ex-rosé barrels from Château Sainte-Marguerite, a Côtes de Provence Cru Classé. It shares many characteristics with the sauvignon-finish whisky but given the youth of both expressions and the lightness of their respective finishings that is not surprising. This had an earthier and slightly heavier character with better balance, but the light floral notes, the prominent stone-fruit aromas and flavours, and the mouthfeel were all similar. The finish is still short but just a little longer than the sauvignon-finished expression. Overall, I thought it was the better whisky, not by a long margin but sufficient to justify summarising it as “above average”. At the asking price it just barely qualifies as reasonable value and once again it is regrettable that it is bottled at only 40% abv. I'm certain that a few degrees more proof would allow greater complexity to show through. Tasted at the Sydney Whisky Show, 15 May 2021, my tasting #17 from bottle 409/750. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)