A quick reminder for those who don't know.

The SOLIGNY distillery was founded in 2018 by Véronique and Vincent Godier, in Soligny-les-Étangs, a small town in the Aube department. After travelling the world, the couple decided to return to their home village to promote their local produce1. The family farm, handed down from father to son since 1530, is the starting point for this new adventure.

But as a modern farmer, Vincent Godier's approach is respectful of the environment, without denying himself the benefits of technology. 

The entire production process, from sowing to bottling, is carried out without chemical inputs.  

As we are here with a barley producer who is also a winegrower in Burgundy, it seemed essential to have a parcel-by-parcel approach to our whiskies. So the barley comes from the estate's three climats (Le Bois Dieu, Les Brulis and Les Champagnes).

The ISTLL still, designed by Dutch manufacturer Odin, is now producing at full capacity, carrying out all stages of production: mashing, fermentation and distillation. Yeasts are used to enhance the raw materials, and the red and white wine casks are chosen for their ability to bring out the flavours.

Aube is the distillery's first single malt whisky and was produced in limited quantities (1308 bottles only). It was distilled between August and October 2020 using 100% Planet spring barley malt (grown on the Bois Dieu plot) and slipped into just 4 casks: two new fine-grain French oak casks from the Fouailly cooperage (built by Jérôme Fouailly, France's best craftsman in the trade), one Burgundy pinot noir Grand Cru cask and one Burgundy chardonnay Premier Cru cask.

The 4 years spent in cask give it an amber colour with golden highlights.

The first part of the nose reveals ripe red fruit (blackberries, bilberries) on a background of leather.

The second passage is more focused on notes of barley set against woody and spicy notes.

The third passage continues with warm notes of toasted oak, leather and vanilla.

The nose of this first distillate is more subtly woody.

The palate is also woody, with a marked presence of cask. There are notes of tarte tatin left a little too long in the oven to make the caramel a little less sweet. Spicy, fruity notes follow. A few vinous notes soften the predominance of the new cask marking.

The finish is long, with warm oak and fresher liquorice notes.

The second single malt offered by the distillery is called Air de Plaine and has become the permanent product.

It was produced from a spring malt (Planet and Laureate varieties) and then aged in a combination of new Champagne oak casks and pinot noir and chardonnay wine casks.

Its distinctive straw colour is hidden behind a dark green frosted bottle.

The first run in the glass shows less woody notes than the first distillate. It is more marked by pastry, cereal and foral notes.

The mark of the wine casks is more apparent in the second passage, with woody, rancid notes and a hint of honey.

The third passage is marked by a return of red fruit and spice notes.

The palate is smooth on entry, but soon becomes marked by woody and spicy notes. As the cloves leave the palate, calming their impression, we move on to sweeter, honeyed notes. Against a backdrop of nuts and vinous notes, the journey continues and coats the palate with almonds.

As it makes its way down the throat, it reveals notes of bread and even a background of aniseed. 

The latest single malt from the Soligny distillery is a single cask and a parcel. It is the first in the VENT D'ANGE single cask series.

This first volume is N°21048R and comes from a single cask of Nuits Saint Georges Premier Cru Les Damodes from the estate's vineyard.

The distillate, distilled in early 2021 from Planet barley grown in the Bois Dieu parcel, was slipped into the Nuits Saint George cask, which had just been emptied.

It has a golden colour, showing that a cask of fresh wine marks distillates fairly quickly.

The nose of this distillate is quite different from the previous two. It is much fresher and lemony. There are almost saline notes.

The second passage reveals Soligny's woody character, but once again in tones less marked by the cask.

On the third pass, the spices (pepper) come through strongly, confirming the fresh notes.

The palate is fairly lively with notes of liquorice and preserved lemon. It stays fairly warm and then becomes drier (the hallmark of the cask wine) and spicier. As it lingers on the palate, it softens slightly to become more honeyed, but retains its peppery, liquorice notes. 

The finish is a little less long, with iodine and fresh notes that are rather atypical of the house. Over time, the dry, woody notes stabilise. 

We can now say that the SOLIGNY ‘CAMPAGNE SPIRIT’ distillery has left its mark on the French whisky scene with a permanent range of fine single cask whiskies.

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