Introducing The Dalmore’s Red Wine Cask Partner – Château Mont-Redon

In the hills of the southern Rhône valley, where sun, stone, and mistral wind shape every detail of the landscape, lies the incomparable Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation - home to Château Mont-Redon, one of the most historic and highly regarded wine estates in France.

Perched on the highest plateau, the estate’s vineyards are scattered with galets roulés – smooth, rolled pebbles that capture the Provençal heat and release it by night, protecting the vines and enriching the grapes. Château Mont-Redon has, for more than a century, produced fine wines that embody this unique terroir and the tradition of the appellation.

Founded in 1923 by visionary winegrower Henri Plantin, Château Mont-Redon initially constituted just two-and-a-half acres of isolated vines surrounded by woods and scrubland. Though the land had been cultivated since Roman times, Henri saw the untapped potential of its unique terroir - its rolled pebbles, Urgonian limestone (dense, fossil-rich rock) and safre (fine, sandy soil).

After clearing and replanting the site across the plateau, Henri began consolidating it - laying the groundwork for future generations to expand the estate. In 1936, the appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) for Châteauneuf-du-Pape was established, recognising the region’s unique terroir and establishing a protective ‘controlled designation of origin’ to the region.

Today, Château Mont-Redon produces full-bodied, elegant red and white wines with intense flavour and character using traditional grape varieties for the appellation, including Grenache Noir, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Spanning over 100 hectares, it is one of the largest estates in the region and remains under the stewardship of Henri’s descendants, the Abeille-Fabre family, led by fourth-generation winemaker and co-owner Pierre Fabre.

For Pierre, Château Mont Redon is about more than producing fine wine; it’s about honouring centuries of Rhône tradition. “Each vintage tells the story of our relationship with the terroir, including the land, the mistral, and the stones beneath our feet. It reflects our commitment to excellence, the timeless character of this exceptional terroir and the people who live and work here,” he says.

The unique terroirs of the estate, with their diverse soil composition, are the keystone to the complexity of Château Mont‑Redon wines.

The plateau’s sun-warmed stones provide a steady water supply and protect the vines against a drought or heatwave. The safre encourages deep rooting and the limestone promotes ripening, while the mistral’s drying winds keep the vines resilient and strong.

Château Mont‑Redon grapes continue to be harvested by hand, carefully destemmed, and then sorted using advanced optical technology to ensure that only the finest grapes continue the journey on to becoming Château Mont‑Redon wines.

Through a trusted partnership with Château Mont-Redon and Pierre Fabre, The Dalmore enjoys privileged access to the freshest Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wine casks. These vessels, seasoned for up to two years with red wine including Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault, arrive at our warehouses drenched in tannins and imbued with the essence of Château Mont‑Redon red wine.

These exquisite casks, typically made from French oak, bring out flavours of red berries, stone fruits and earthy undertones in The Dalmore whisky, quite distinct from the sweeter, nuttier profile of Sherry casks. 

Richard Paterson, Master Distiller at The Dalmore reflects on the partnership with Pierre. “The respect that Pierre has for the terroir and the art of winemaking at Château Mont-Redon shines through in the quality of the wine,” he says. “He is hugely admired and respected for this, alongside his immense expertise and knowledge of winemaking.”

For over three decades, The Dalmore has worked to perfect the art of red wine cask maturation as showcased in many of our expressions including The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve, The Dalmore King Alexander III and Luminary No.3 2025 Edition Aged 17 Years, amongst many others. Under the guidance of Richard Paterson, The Dalmore became one of the earliest Scotch whisky distilleries to pioneer this innovative approach.

The curation of exquisite casks from the finest wineries and bodegas is central to the whisky making artistry for which The Dalmore is renowned. We meticulously enrich every drop of our whisky by actively transferring our spirit between rare and exclusive casks, making much more of our maturation time and creating a richer, more complex whisky. 

Designed to be enjoyed in life’s special moments, each is a masterpiece - the superior reward for the moments that matter.

For the Cask Curation Series: The Red Wine Cask Edition, Master Whisky Makers hand-selected three fresh 2023 Château Mont‑Redon red wine casks to finish each of the three Single Malts in this series.

This approach perfectly illustrates how the same three red wine casks can enhance three whiskies of differing ages, demonstrating how the flavours imparted can complement and enhance our signature chocolate, orange and spice character – a testament to the artistry of the Master Whisky Makers.

“This has been a wonderful journey of discovery, exploring how different aged and rare single malts can be subtly enhanced by red wine,” says Richard. 

The Cask Curation Series: The Red Wine Cask Edition comprises three exquisite and exceptionally rare whiskies, with just 150 sets made. Each set is housed in a presentation case, covered in lapis blue Saffiano leather – its colour echoing both the blue hue of the estate’s ripening grapes and the Rhône-Alpes flag for the region of Mont-Redon. The cases are hand-crafted in Florence by renowned Italian luggage artisans, AB Florence.

This expression, bottled at 40.7% ABV, offers enticing aromas of rich honey, sweet citrus and hints of orchard fruit on the nose. The palate brims with notes of red berries, crème brûlée, orange zest and hints of dark toffee, with mandarin, roasted coffee and soft spices on the finish.

A decade older, this expression, bottled at 40.5% ABV, brings subtle floral notes with hints of forest fruits. On the palate, rich dark berries, stone fruits, vanilla, and gentle wood spice before warm honey, white chocolate and a touch of liquorice on the finish.

The most mature whisky in the set, this exquisite expression, bottled at 40.3% ABV, offers warm aromas of dried fruit and orange marmalade. On the palate, notes of forest berries, dark chocolate, hints of honeyed mango and warming spice are revealed before a finish of dark fruit, a hint of espresso, and aged wood spice.

Each expression is bottled at natural colour and is non-chill filtered.

The Dalmore Cask Curation Series: The Red Wine Cask Edition is available to buy now.