Vinexpo Bordeaux 2017: the launches

Following yesterday’s guide to Vinexpo Bordeaux, we now bring you a rundown of the launches at next week’s fair, from organic Champagne to hipster vodka, and much more.

Champagne Lanson will be showcasing its new Green Label

This year’s Vinexpo Bordeaux is the 19th show held in the city by the exhibition organiser and will run from June 18-21 at Parc des Expositions.

You can read more about the general themes at this year’s fair by clicking here, while below we have featured some of the news from exhibitors at Vinexpo, organised alphabetically.

Banfi
Castello Banfi will be exhibiting its new Barbera d’Asti DOCG 2016, the first year of production for this particular wine. It is described as being “a deep ruby red with notes of cherry and plum”. The wine is full-bodied, with sweet tannins and fresh acidity.
Banfi is on stand B83

Bodegas Trapiche
Bodegas Trapiche will be presenting the following new releases: 2016 vintage of its Costa & Pampa wines, its Pure range rosé, Chardonnay and Malbec and the 2013 vintage of the Trapiche terroir series and Trapiche Terroir series limited edition.
Bodegas Trapiche is on stand BC253

Bollinger
Bollinger will be showcasing the new-release Bollinger La Grande Année 2007. A blend of 72% Pinot Noir and 28% Chardonnay, the 2007 vintage has notes of “almond, peach, mango and pink grapefruit, with flavours of honey and candied lemon on the palate”. It has a relatively low dosage of 7g/l, reflecting the fact that in 2007, the harvest dates were among the earliest in Champagne for more than half a century.
Bollinger is on stand BD202

Champagne Castelnau
Champagne Castelnau will be displaying its ‘new look’ including new labels, new gift packaging and new trade marketing materials. After celebrating its centenary, Champagne Castelnau removed the world ‘de’ from its brand name, revealing a new logo comprising of two linked ‘C’s.
Champagne Castelnau is on stand A123

De Bortoli
De Bortoli will be showcasing all three wines in its ‘Down the Lane’ range: Pinot Grigio Arneis 2016, Rosé Gris de Gris 2016 and a Shiraz Tempranillo 2015.
Also on offer will be the Woodfired Heathcote Shiraz, La Bohème Sparkling (released in April) and the Villages Heathcote Shiraz Grenache.
De Bortoli is on stand A150

Drappier
Drappier will be pouring its new-release Blanc de Blancs at this year’s Vinexpo. The Champagne House has adopted a new bottle design, constructed out of 87%-recycled glass, the highest content of any Champagne bottle, according to owner and head winemaker Michel Drappier. The bottle also is made out of brown glass, which filters 99% of ultraviolet light, compared with green glass, which prevents 92% of the damaging rays reaching the wine.
Drappier is on stand AB310

Ferrari
Ferrari will be showcasing the Ferrari Perlé Bianco Riserva at this year’s Vinexpo – presented to the Italian market at the end of last year. The Chardonnay-based sparkling wine, aged for eight years on its lees, is a product of the 2006 harvest.
Ferrari is on stand DE108

Tovaritch! vodka’s new bottle is intended to appeal to the “international hipster crowd”

Fraternity Spirits
Fraternity Spirits is due to add three new luxury SKUs to its agave offer. The Mexico-based company has launched a trio of 100% blue agave ‘ultra-premium’ expressions: Corralejo Silver 1753, Corralejo Reposado 1810, and Corralejo Extra Añejo 1821.
Fraternity Spirits is on stand V321

Lanson
Champagne Lanson will be showcasing its new Green Label, a cuvée made using organic grapes from its vineyards in the Marne Valley. With this release, Lanson becomes the largest house to launch an organic Champagne.
Alongside the Green Label, Lanson will also present its new vintage 2002 for the Lanson Noble Cuvée Brut and Blanc de Blancs. Champagne Besserat de Bellefon, owned by the Lanson-BCC Group and being shown on Lanson’s stand, will be pouring two new cuvées: Cuvée des Moines Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru and Cuvée des Moines Sec.
Lanson is on stand 141

Les Grands Chais de France
Les Grands Chais de France’s focus at this year’s Vinexpo will be firmly on Calvet, which started out in 1818 at Maison Calvet in Bordeaux. In particular, GCF will be showcasing the Prestige de Calvet Bordeaux 2016, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that recently won gold at the International Wine Challenge.
GCF will also be unveiling the new Calvet range, exclusively for on-trade and independents, at Vinexpo. The range is constructed of three quality tiers: C de Calvet (comprised of a Sauvignon Blanc, a Merlot and a rosé), Heritage (AOP wines from the most popular French appellations) and Cuvée 1818 (a ‘premium Bordeaux icon wine’ at the top of the range). There will be more than 50 domaines and châteaux at the show, along with some of GCF’s 45 winemakers.
GCF is on stand A101

Marqués de Cáceres
Marqués de Cáceres will be showing its whole range of wines at Vinexpo 2017. This includes its latest releases, such as the bodega’s Excellens range from Rioja and Rueda: Reserva, Special Cuvée Red, a Viura white and a rosé from Rioja, and a Sauvignon Blanc from Rueda, where the bodega set up a new winery in 2014.
Also on pour will be Marqués de Cáceres Verdejo White (D.O. Rueda), Deusa Nai Albariño White (D.O. Rías Baixas) and Marqués de Cáceres Organic Tempranillo & Graciano Red (D.O.Ca Rioja).
Marqués de Cáceres is on stand BC134

Moët Hennessy
Moët Hennessy is coming back to Vinexpo in 2017 as a group, after more than a decade away from the Bordeaux exhibition, although its brands have remained active at the fairs. Moët Hennessy will be showing the latest labels and vintages from its 21 brands. Also, Veuve Clicquot will bring a pop-up bar that will be stationed alongside the lake.
Moët Hennessy is on stand A211

Pol Roger
Pol Roger will be previewing the latest vintage of its prestige cuvée, Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2006. Composed solely from grands crus Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards, the wine displays notes of butter, brioche, hazelnut and tangerine. On the palate, Pol Roger says it “opens up” with flavours of nougat and pistachio. The 2006 has a dosage of 8g/l.
Pol Roger, along with bespoke Land Rover Defender Polly, is on stand AB170

Santa Rita Estates
Santa Rita’s newly appointed Carmen winemaker, Emily Faulconer, will be showcasing the new vintages of Carmen D.O. Matorral Chileno 2016, Carmen D.O. Quijada Semillón SB 2016, Portugais Bleu Malbec, Cinsault and Moscatel.
It will also be exhibiting the new National Gallery wines for the first time outside of the UK and Ireland. All five varieties in the series will be at Vinexpo: the Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Finally, Santa Rita will be showing the new Doña Paula Rosé.
Santa Rita is on stand A244

Tovaritch!
Tovaritch! vodka will be showcasing its revamped bottle, developed to appeal to the “international hipster crowd”, and pouring cocktails at The Drinks and Spirits Business Bar, hosted by db and its sister publication the spirits business.
Tovaritch! is a five-times distilled grain vodka produced and bottled in Russia by the Geneva-based Tovaritch Spirits International SA, building its reputation on “Russian tradition and Swiss precision”.
The brand will be using Vinexpo to further build relationships with long-term partners in Asia and Central Europe, as well as seek out new customers. Tovaritch! is now one of the top three Russian vodkas sold in the UK, with a “firm grip” on the South African, Australian and the Middle Eastern markets, says Eugenio Litta Modignani, CEO of Tovaritch Spirits International SA. Tovaritch! will be just one of the brands exhibiting at The Drinks and Spirits Business Bar at Vinexpo, a cocktail bar hosted by the drinks business and the spirits business.
Tovaritch! will be based in Hall 3, TU335 at Vinexpo, while the The Drinks and Spirits Business Bar will be based in Hall 1, CD268.

Hugh Johnson was given the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 at a ceremony at Vinexpo Bordeaux where members of the wine industry gathered to honour his lifelong contribution to the trade. This year’s winner will be announced next week.

Vino Chianti Classico
The Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico consists of 580 member producers, 376 of which sell their wine under their own label, but which all display the Black Rooster trademark on the bottle.
At this year’s Vinexpo, representatives from Bibbiano, Bindi Sergardi, Casale dello Sparviero (Fattoria Campoperi), Castelli del Grevepesa, Castello di Ama, Castello di Fonterutoli, Castelvecchi, Fattoria di Ruppiano Astorre Noti, Fontodi, Lanciola, Querciabella, Rocca delle Macìe, Ruffino and Tenuta Cappellina will be exhibiting at the show.
Vino Chianti Classico is on stand AB72

And finally…
The drinks business will have a strong presence at the fair, with a stand and bar at CD268, while three members of the publication’s editorial team will be attending the show this year: Patrick Schmitt, Lucy Shaw and Rupert Millar.
Also, db, in partnership with The Institute of Masters of Wine, will be announcing 2017’s recipient of The Lifetime Achievement Award at Vinexpo. The winner will be honoured at a lunch on Monday 19 June, which will run from 11:45am-2pm at the Vinexpo Academy, Room 4, Hall 3. If you would like to register your interest in this event please email sheila.crisp@thedrinksbusiness.com

Read more

VINEXPO BORDEAUX 2017: WHAT TO EXPECT