Top 10 new products of the month

Clos Lanson 2006, Lanson

CONTACT: pmcdonald@lansoninternational.com

Lanson has launched its first single-vineyard Champagne, Clos Lanson 2006. The new expression has been aged for eight years on its lees and more than a year in Lanson’s cellars post disgorgement. The fizz is a blanc de blancs made from 100% Chardonnay from a one-hectare walled vineyard within the city of Reims alongside Lanson’s winery and headquarters on the Rue de Courlancy. Clos Lanson is the first single vineyard Champagne from the house, and an addition to the range instigated by Philippe Baijot, CEO of Lanson-BCC, after the acquisition of Lanson International by Boizel Chanoine Champagne Group in 2006. The wine spends several months in oak and comes with a dosage of 3 grams per litre, making it a Brut Nature. Lanson has made a wine from the small plot every year since the 2006 vintage. Just 7,870 numbered bottles of the 2006 vintage have been produced.

RRP: £160.

Black Tower summer editions

CONTACT: jane.lawrence@reh-kendermann.de

Black Tower has launched two special edition bottle designs of two its most popular wines sold in the UK in time for summer. On sale this month, Black Tower Fruity White features images of the British seaside and a beach hut design, while Black Tower Rosé, on sale in August, dons a colourful abstract sunset design using a pastel palette of lilac, pink, orange and gold. The bold duo are aimed at outdoor parties, picnics and barbecues. The first Black Tower special edition went on sale in 2011 coupling its trademark bottle shape with fun designs applied to the top half of bottles to mark the changing seasons. Featuring everything from spring flowers and summer flip-flops to autumn leaves and winter woollies; the designs have become synonymous with the brand.

RRP: £5 white /£6 rosé.

Carlos Moro Vinos de Finca

CONTACT: comunicacion3@matarromera.es

Spanish wine producer Carlos Moro, part of the Matarromera Group, has launched a trio of wines to showcase the terroir of three appellations: DO Rueda, DO Toro and DO Cigales. Carlos Moro Finca Valmediano 2012 is produced from 85-year-old Tinta de Toro vines in Toro. Having spent 16 months in oak, the wine is described as having aromas of “blackberry and blueberry jam” balanced with tertiary notes of black pepper, chocolate and liquorice. Finca Las Marcas 2014, produced in Rueda, is a 100% Verdejo aged for six months in new French oak before spending a further six months in bottle. Completing the line up is Finca Valdehierro 2012, made from 70-year-old bush vines in the DO of Cigales. The 100% Tempranillo spends 16 months in oak, resulting in aromas of “liquorice, roasted coffee and a touch of graphite”. A Rioja is due to launch as part of the range in 2017.

RRP: Available on request.

Masi Moxxé 2015

CONTACT: Berkmann Wine Cellars, orders@berkmann.co.uk

Amarone specialist Masi has released what is believed to be the world’s first sparkling wine made from dried grapes. Called Moxxé, the sparkler contains 20% Verduzzo grapes that have been left to dry on racks for three weeks after harvesting, a process called appassimento that concentrates the flavours, sugars and acids in the berries. The other 80% of the sparkling wine is produced from Pinot Grigio grapes, which have undergone the standard sparkling wine production process, and have been pressed gently to produce a juice immediately after harvesting. All the berries for Moxxé come from vineyards in the Fruili Venezia Giulia region, and the sparkling wine has been made in the same way as Prosecco, in a brut style with 9g/l of sugar. The sparkling wine’s official launch vintage is the 2015 harvest, in which Masi produced 40,000 bottles.

RRP: £12.

Sambrooks Brewery Black IPA

CONTACT: sales@sambrooksbrewery.co.uk

London-based brewer Sambrooks has launched a new American-style IPA that tastes like an IPA, but pours like a stout. Named Black IPA, the brew is made from a mixture of US hop varieties and offers vibrant citrus and floral aromas and a long hoppy finish. While it has the aroma profile of an IPA, its pours a dark black in the glass, a deliberate attempt to throw consumers ‘off guard’. Its launch coincides with a redesign of the brewery’s range, which has seen its 300ml, 500ml and cask packaging overhauled.

RRP: £3.80

Gabriel Meffre ‘1936’ Côtes du Rhône & Gigondas

CONTACT: Gabriel Meffre, +33 (0) 490 123 253

Côtes du Rhône producer Gabriel Meffre has launched a duo of 1930s-inspired wines to mark its 80th anniversary. Named ‘1936’, the range features a red blend from the 2013 harvest and a 2015 blend of Grenache and Syrah, both produced from grapes sourced from Gigondas AOC. It was in Gigondas that Gabriel Meffre and his wife, Juliette, founded the Gabriel Meffre winery in 1936. This year also marked the peak of French graphic art in advertising. In a nod to the style trends of that time, both bottles feature Art Deco labels.

RRP: Côtes du Rhône £10-£12 / Gigondas £18-£20.

Viña Aresti Codiga de Familia

CONTACT: david.clarke@copestickmurray.com

Viña Aresti has launched a new ‘icon’ wine to mark the Chilean producer’s 65th anniversary. Códiga de Familia is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc sourced from Curicó, specifically Aresti’s Micaela and Bellavista estates. Situated in the Andean foothills, these premium vineyards benefit from the moderating influence of the River Claro and the Andes mountains. Vinified in steel tanks with minimal extraction, a small proprtion of Cabernet Franc and Malbec was added after malolactic fermentation to bring complexity to the blend. Aged in French oak barrels, the resulting 14.5% ABV wine is described as having “delicate fruity and floral aromas” that “integrate seamlessly with a palate layered with savoury red fruit and plum, and ripe, juicy tannins”.

RRP: £50.

Moët Ice Impérial Rosé

CONTACT: Moët.com

Moët & Chandon has launched its Moët Ice Impérial Rosé NV, believed to be the first rosé Champagne produced with the intention of being served over ice. Described by the house as “fresh and vibrant when served over ice and sure to be the drink of the summer season”, this expression has been created as a partner to its Ice Impérial NV, which launched a few years ago. Blended by Moët’s chef de cave Benoît Gouez, Ice Imperial Rosé NV comprises a blend of 45 to 55% Pinot Noir, of which 10% is red wine, 35 to 45% of Meunier, of which 10% is red wine, and 5 to 10% Chardonnay. Around 20 to 30% of the blend is made up of selected reserve wines. Explaining his approach to the blend, Gouez said he selected each wine “specifically for what they bring to the party”. Its dosage is 38g/l, which Gouez said not only gives the wine its structure and personality, but also “helps create and maintain the Champagne’s perfect balance when it meets the ice cubes”.

RRP: £59.99.

Campo Viejo Viura-Tempranillo Blanco

CONTACT: carlotta.colkin@pernod-ricard.com

Campo Viejo has unveiled its first ever Viura-Tempranillo Blanco white Rioja, launching exclusively in the UK. Indigenous to Rioja, Tempranillo Blanco is a natural mutation of the Tempranillo red variety. The Viura-Tempranillo Blanco 2015 is a blend of 14% Tempranillo Blanco and 86% Viura to produce a “light and refreshing” wine. “The planting of experimental vineyards was crucial as it allowed us to uncover the authenticity and potential of this grape variety,” said chief winemaker Elena Adell. “Further experimentation in our on-site nano-winery once we’d harvested the grapes allowed us to find the perfect blend to bring this wine to market.” Campo Viejo Viura-Tempranillo Blanco 2015 will be available in limited supply from early May in UK supermarkets.

RRP: £9.35.