Released in 2012, Artein took its name from the Gaelic for 'stone' — a nod to the mineral water drawn from the hard sandstone of the Tarlogie Springs that supplies the Tain distillery. It is the third Private Edition, and the first to carry an age statement: a 15-year-old Glenmorangie, matured in ex-bourbon American oak and finished in casks that had held Sassicaia, the Tuscan Bolgheri red made famous by the Antinori family.
Sassicaia is a Cabernet-led 'Super Tuscan' wine of considerable structure, and its casks impart a softer tannic shading than the sherry vessels used in earlier Private Editions. The result is recognisably Glenmorangie in its orchard-and-honey core, but stretched towards red fruit and a faint herbal note borrowed from the Bolgheri coast.
Dr Bill Lumsden has been candid about Glenmorangie's interest in wine wood — the distillery has worked with Bordeaux, Burgundy, Sauternes and Côtes du Rhône casks across various releases — and Artein sits squarely in that tradition. Bottled at 46% without chill filtration, it does not strain for drama; the wine influence is a tilt rather than a takeover.
For a Private Edition, Artein is one of the more measured entries, more interested in subtle redirection than in spectacle. It rewards a patient glass and a quiet hour.
