Top 10 new products

The Ploughmen Project

A winemaking venture set up to support Maule farmers in the wake of Chile’s 2010 earthquake is to see its first result launch in the UK this month. The Ploughmen Project was created by Derek Mossman Knapp, founder of Chilean “garagiste” producer The Garage Wine Co, using funds awarded by the Geoffrey Roberts Trust. He worked with three small Maule farmers to build a sustainable business by creating high-end wines from the region’s ancient Carignan vineyards.

The initiative was supported by UK importer Bibendum Wine and the resulting wine will join the portfolio of its recently relaunched independent retail and wholesale arm, Walker & Wodehouse. The first Ploughmen wine to launch comes from a plot of over 100-year-old Carignan vines in the Sauzal region of Maule. Farmer Don Nivaldo Morales and his wife Otelia farm the land by hand and horse with no irrigation. Once harvested, the grapes ferment using wild yeast and are pressed manually before the wine is matured for two winters in mostly third-fill French oak barrels.

RRP: £20.95

CONTACT: Bibendum, +44 (0)845 263 6924

Leeuwin Estate Riesling 2013

Australia’s Leeuwin Estate in Margaret River has released the 2013 vintage of its Art Series Riesling, which it has declared one of its finest. “Leeuwin Estate has been undertaking pruning trials on its Riesling vines,” says winemaker Paul Atwood. “In the past the vines were pruned in August, but in the last few years we’ve been pruning it at the same time as our Cabernet vines in June. The results have been striking. The grapes ripen earlier, retain their acidity better and produce wines that show great freshness.” He introduces the 2013 Art Series Riesling as having “a taut palate bursting with Tahitian lime and lemon pith. Lively and racy acid underpins the palate throughout. Mineral and flint characters make this vintage one of our finest.”

RRP: £19.99

CONTACT: Domaine Direct, www.domainedirect.co.uk

Qcumber sparkling mixer

Seeking to jazz up gin, vivify vodka and pimp your Pimm’s is newcomer Qcumber, which bills itself as “a blend of natural cucumber essence and gently sparkling spring water”. Keen to shake up the premium mixer category, Qcumber is housed in a 200ml crown-cap bottle and made from 100% natural ingredients. Free from artificial sweeteners, colours, preservatives and flavourings, the drink is also low in calories for those keen to keep their cocktails skinny.

Due to launch in October, Qcumber is the brainchild of Graham Carr-Smith. “The last few years have seen a growth in high-end mixers to complement the trend towards premium spirits,” he says. “We’re expecting big things from Qcumber – the G&Q is already established as a contemporary interpretation of the classic gin and tonic combination, and our new premium mixer will build on this popularity. Consumers are becoming increasingly experimental and are looking for new flavour experiences.”

RRP £3.65 for 4x200ml bottles

CONTACT: Matthew King, matthew@q-cumber.co.uk

1897 Quinine Gin

A new gin is celebrating the spirit’s historic role in keeping the British Empire healthy by using quinine as an ingredient and supporting a charity that fights malaria while it’s at it. Launched in the UK by Maverick Drinks, 1897 Quinine Gin takes its name from the year that scientist Sir Ronald Ross discovered malaria parasites in mosquitoes, paving the way for the development of antimalarial treatment.

A major flavour component of the new gin is cinchona bark, the traditional source of quinine, which British East India Company employees and army officers posted to the tropics would mix with sugar, lime, water and gin – part of the soldiers’ rations – to improve the bitter taste of the quinine. In the case of 1897 Quinine Gin, the “ethereal flavour aroma” of cinchona bark is complemented by 13 botanicals including liquorice and pink grapefruit. At least £5 from every bottle sold will go to Malaria No More UK.

RRP: £39.95

CONTACT: Master of Malt, www.masterofmalt.com

Marisco Exemplar Craft Series

Marisco Vineyards’ chief winemaker Brent Marris has added a trio of wines to the New Zealand estate’s portfolio that aim to demonstrate the nuances of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Viognier via Pride & Glory Sauvignon Blanc 2011, The Exemplar Viognier 2012 and the Journey Pinot Noir 2013. Named the “Craft Series”, the trio is aimed at fans of The Ned who are looking to trade up to top of the range drops from the Waihopai Valley. The Exemplar Viognier comes from a one-hectare plot, while just 150 cases of the Pinot have been bottled. “The Craft Series is all about guiding the varieties to fulfil their potential,” says Marris.

RRP: £25

CONTACT: Kingsland Wines, +44 (0)161 333 4300

Skye Yer Ben premium ale

In a celebration of all things Scottish, chef Tom Kitchin and the Isle of Skye Brewing Co have united to launch Yer Ben premium ale, which is on sale at Kitchin’s gastropub The Scran & Scallie and the Isle of Skye Brewing shop, as well as online. Housed in 500ml bottles, the 5.5% abv ale was made by Kitchin and brewers Pam MacRuary and Mags Newlands. According to Kitchin, it pairs wonderfully with everything from fish and chips to pork terrine.

Created due to a demand for quality craft beer from diners at The Scran & Scallie, Yer Ben is named after Tom’s grandfather, beer connoisseur Ben Robinson. “To play a part in what went into the beer and how it looked and tasted was a joy for me. The light, refreshing recipe suits all palates and I hope ale fans enjoy Yer Ben as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it,” said Kitchin.

RRP: £3.35

CONTACT: Isle of Skye Brewing Co, +44 (0)1470 542 477

San Simone Metodo Classico Zero Dosage

What better way to toast the dying embers of summer than with a bottle of fizz? This zero dosage offering from Friuli is made from Chardonnay grapes vinified and matured in stainless steel. Aged on the lees for 36 months, according to its makers the sparkler boasts a “strong character” with “intense and extremely inviting” aromas of “white flowers, hazelnuts and hints of apple and banana”, with malolactic fermentation providing a soft finish.

CONTACT: Azienda San Simone, info@sansimone.it

Viña Aresti Trisquel Merlot

Chilean wine brand Viña Aresti has launched the first wine in its Trisquel series, a new range of limited edition bottlings. The wine is made from Merlot sourced from a 6-hectare vineyard 1,245 meters above sea level in the Andean highlands of Curicó. The decision to make a high altitude wine forms part of Aresti’s strategy to explore the breadth of Chile’s grape growing capabilities from mountains to coast, as chief executive Matías Rivera explains: “Our goal with the Trisquel series is to produce wines that are unique, targeting them at a public increasingly eager to try new things.” According to its makers, the “powerful” wine has “remarkable complexity, round tannins and a lingering finish”.

RRP: £10

CONTACT: Wine Box, www.winebox.cl

Rhum JM Armagnac, Calvados & Cognac finish

New to Harvey Nicks is this tasty trio of rums aged in three different types of cask, which were once home to Armagnac, Calvados and Cognac. Made by Martinique-based Rhum JM, known for its aged expressions and traditional style, the range is the fruit of three different collaborations with French spirits houses. The Calvados Finish is aged for eight years in Bourbon barrels before a few months in ex-Calvados casks from Maison Lecompte. The Cognac Finish meanwhile is aged for the same time in Bourbon casks before spending a few months in ex-Cognac barrels from Delamain.

Finally, the Armagnac Finish undergoes the same ageing process before ending its life in ex-Armagnac casks from Château de Tariquet. According to spirits buyer Ivan Dixon, the rums are ideal for enthusiasts and collectors seeking “a dry, complex and traditional style”. “These are spirits to be sniffed, sipped and savoured,” he says.

RRP: £80 each

CONTACT: Harvey Nichols, www.harveynichols.com

Moët & Chandon’s “MCIII” multi-vintage Champagne

Champagne house Moët & Chandon has released a few thousand bottles of a new multi-vintage prestige cuvée Champagne priced at €450 a bottle. Named “MCIII” after the initials of the house and the three-layer blending process, the top-end sparkler has been in the pipeline for the last 15 years.

Just over 37% of the blend comes from the 2003 vintage, equally balanced between Pinot Noir from Ay and Chardonnay from Chouilly and Cramant aged in stainless steel. A further third is made up of reserve wines from 2002, 2000 and 1998 vinified in tanks and aged between five to seven months in 5,000-litre oak foudres.

The remainder of the blend was formed by uncorking bottles of the 1999, 1998 and 1993 vintages of Moët Grand Vintage Collection disgorged from the cellar.

The first release of MCIII carries the numbers “001.14” on the bottle in reference to that fact that the inaugural batch of the fizz was disgorged in 2014. Having rested in the Moët cellars for a decade, some 15,000 bottles have been released by Moët and will be available to buy directly from the house.

The multi-vintage sparkler is said to boast notes of “coffee, malt, hazelnut, citrus and candied fruits”. Priced at €450 a bottle, the fizz costs over twice the amount of a bottle of Dom Pérignon, which is also owned by Moët & Chandon.

RRP: €450