Top new products from November

Fancy some early Christmas shopping? We list what’s been released this month.

From a new 30-year-old single malt whisky from the Isle of Jura distillery to a Cognac Frapin from the McKinley Vintners, get some seasonal inspiration from our list of new products.

Jura 30 year old Standing Stone

CONTACT Whyte & Mackay, +44 (0)1283 217703

Jura Distillery has added a 30-year-old expression to its range called “Standing Stone” or “Camas an Staca” in Gaelic. The new whisky takes its name from one of the largest of Jura’s eight standing stones – a 12-foot obelisk that is part of a stone circle laid some 3,000 years ago to appease the spirits.

Distillery manager, Willie Cochrane, says: “The standing stones have mysteriously stood the test of time on the island, so it’s only fitting that we create an aged whisky in their honour. The whisky’s long maturation in American white oak gives the spirit a quiet serenity, whilst its three years spent finessing in the finest oloroso Sherry butts from González Byass gives this spirit a commanding finish.”

The whisky will go on sale at selected shops this December, RRP £350.

Rivesaltes Collection

CONTACT Liberty Wines +44 (0)20 7819 0333

Maison Cazes has launched a limited edition collection of some of the oldest Rivesaltes wines in existence.

The collection covers 29 vintages between 1931 and 1962, which altogether represent the only 500 bottles of these wines that exist in the world. Each bottle is sold separately in a black and gold presentation case, while the bottle is also numbered and comes with tasting notes and a “mutage” date – the date when it was put into cask and
when it was bottled.

Galvin Group’s head sommelier, Andrea Briccarello, says: “The complexity and structure of these wines is like nothing I’ve tasted before. I am impressed by the endless food and wine matching opportunities, but also by the indestructible life these wines have.”

Innis & Gunn Treacle Porter

CONTACT Innis & Gunn +44 (0)131 220 7230

Innis & Gunn has launched a limited edition treacle porter.

Apparently inspired by a century- old Scottish beer recipe, the brew – full of roasted wheat, crystal malt and treacle – is matured in oak casks.

Douglas Sharp, CEO, says: “I was reading A Scots Cellar, a celebrated book on the history and tradition of beer and spirits in Scotland, and came across a brewing recipe, over 100 years old. It incorporated treacle in the brewing process to add complexity and sweetness. I knew immediately that it would lend something special to a Porter-style beer I had long wanted to produce as a seasonal release, and it most certainly has.”

The beer will be available in Sainsbury’s and Booths, RRP £2.50.

Sonate No 9 Extra Brut

CONTACT Vintage Roots, +44 (0)118 932 6566

Vintage Roots has added a no-added sulphur Champagne to its portfolio, Champagne Fleury, Sonate No 9 Extra Brut. The Champagne is made from 100% Pinot Noir grown in the Côtes des Bar and produced in “tiny” quantities.

Neil Palmer, co-founder and director of Vintage Roots, says: “We have strong demand for no-added, and low- sulphur wines, so it’s great to have a Champagne we can add to our range. But the best thing is the incredible taste and aromas – we’d be listing this whether it had sulphur added or not.”

Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood

CONTACT First Drinks, +44 (0)1256 748 200

The Balvenie has launched the 17-year-old Balvenie DoubleWood, as its malt master David Stewart prepares to celebrate his 50th anniversary at the
distillery. The new DoubleWood is the elder sibling of the previously released 12-year-old DoubleWood, which has quickly become one of The Balvenie’s most popular expressions. The new version is said to display similar characteristics but “with deeper vanilla notes, hints of green apple and creamy toffee.”

Stewart says: “It has been a real pleasure to create the DoubleWood 17 Year Old and I am delighted with the way it has turned out. Wherever I travel in the world, DoubleWood 12 Year Old is the expression that people are most likely to have enjoyed, which is why it has been so exciting to create this new older version.”

The 17 year old is available in the on- and off-trades, RRP £75.

Bodegas Murviedro GSM

CONTACT Buckingham Schenk, +44 (0)1753 521 336

Bodegas Murviedro and Buckingham Schenk have created a Spanish twist on a classic Rhône blend with a Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre.

Simply dubbed GSM, the wine was made by the bodegas’ chief winemaker, Pablo Ossorio, who blended equal parts of each grape from the vineyards around Valencia. Bodegas Murviedro is part of Buckingham Schenk’s pan-European group, the world’s 13th largest wine company.

The wine is available in Morrisons with immediate effect, RRP £4.49.

Cognac Frapin Multimillésime No 5

CONTACT McKinley Vintners, +44 (0)20 7928 7300

Cognac Frapin has unveiled the fifth edition of its “Trésor du Château Fontpinot”, the multi- vintage series. Number 5 is a blend of 1982, 1986 and 1989, each of which has been stored and aged at the family property of Château du Fontpinot.

Production is limited to just 1,270 numbered bottles, but all the spirits are matured in oak casks having undergone double distillation on lees. Tasting notes describe “dried fruits”, such as apricot, giving way to “tobacco and cigar-cellar”.

Cellarmaster Patrice Piveteau said: “The Multimillésime No 5 takes a few minutes to open up fully, but then prolific and varied aromatic progressions work their magic. It should be slowly aired to allow it to develop its full potential. ”

RRP £245.

Aurora

CONTACT Stevens Garnier, +44 (0)186 526 3300

Stevens Garnier has unveiled five Brazilian wines from the country’s largest producer, Aurora.

The full range includes a sparkling non- vintage Moscato and rosé Moscato, a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot. All of the wines are naturally low in alcohol (11- 12.5%) due to the vineyard’s position in the cool climate region of Serra Gaúcha in southern Brazil.

The winery was founded in 1931 and soon became the biggest in the country, which it remains today. All wines have an RRP of £8.99-£9.99.

Gut Hermannsberg

CONTACT MWH Merchants, +44 (0)118 984 4654

Gut Hermannsberg has been unveiled by MWH Merchants as the newest addition to its portfolio. The wine, from the Nahe Valley, is a Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) estate and is a rarity even in Germany as it makes wine exclusively from what are considered
“Erste Lage” (premier cru) sites.

The winery was previously known as the Königlich-Preußische Weinbaudomäne Niederhausen-Schlossböckelheim, before it was privatised in 2009 when it was bought by Jens Reidel and Christine Dinse. Covering 30 hectares, the estates domaines include: Niederhäuser Hermannsberg, Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube, Traiser Bastei and Altenbamberger Rotenberg, all of which are Erste Lage.

The wines available in the UK now include Niederhäser Riesling trocken 2010, Schlossböckelheimer Riesling trocken 2010 and Riesling Kabinett 2010.