Top new products: July

Akitu Pinot Noir Blanc

Akitu winery based in New Zealand’s Central Otago has launched the third wine in its range: a white Pinot Noir. It is the first time that the winery has made a white wine since it was founded in 2003 by owner Andrew Donaldson. The wine has a delicate pink hue, but because it has no skin contact, with the grapes pressed immediately after picking, the winery says that it is technically a white wine rather than a rosé. With grapes sourced from the winery’s 12-hectare vineyard, the wine has aromas of “light berry sorbet and dried herbs with great texture and depth of flavour on the palate”, according to the producer.

RRP: £32.

Contact: Mentzendorff, orders@mentzendorff.co.uk

Tia Maria Iced Coffee Frappé

Coffee liqueur brand Tia Maria is entering the ready-to-drink (RTD) category with the launch of its Iced Coffee Frappé. Made with 100% Arabica coffee, milk cream and Tia Maria, the RTD has an ABV of 4% and is packaged in cans. Once opened, nitro technology helps to create a foam to the drink as if it had been freshly shaken. The colourful abstract can design was created in collaboration with Dutch street artist Karski. The producer says the new product has been launched to target a broader consumer range, specifically a younger audience.

RRP: £1.89 per can.

Contact: Sainsbury’s, +44 (0)800 636 262

D&G and Donnafugata rosé

Luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana and Italian winery Donnafugata have launched a rosé made using grapes from the 2019 vintage. Produced in Sicily using two of the island’s well-known grapes – Nerello Mascalese and Nocera – the wine has aromas of “jasmine, wild strawberry, peach and bergamot”, according to the producer. The winery says the Nerello Mascalese, grown on the volcanic soils of Mt. Etna, gives the wine mineral and floral notes, while the Nocera grapes, grown on the hills of Contessa Entellina, provide the fruity element.

RRP: £39.99.

Contact: Donnafugata, baldo.palermo@donnafugata.it

Fonterutoli Gran Selezione wines

In 2017, Mazzei-owned Chianti Classico estate Castello di Fonterutoli launched a new Gran Selezione project, aimed at highlighting the biodiversity in the estate’s three terroirs: Fonterutoli vineyard in Castellina in Chianti, Vicoregio vineyard in Castelnuovo Berardenga and Badiòla in Radda, Chianti. The resulting wines have been released. The Fonterutoli Gran Selezione 2017 is made from Sangiovese grown in 11 of the estate’s best plots; the Vicoregio 36 2017 features 36 different biotypes of Sangiovese, while the Badiola Gran Selezione 2017 includes grapes from the estate’s highest vineyards below the 12th-century church of La Badiola.

RRP: TBC.

Contact: Mazzei, francesco.mazzei@mazzei.it

Concha y Toro Diablo Black

Concha y Toro UK has unveiled its Diablo Black Cabernet Sauvignon, following the successful launch of the Diablo Dark Red blend. The Chilean red blend, which was launched in May 2018, amassed almost £3 million in retail sales in the 52 weeks to 18 April 2020. Diablo Black, meanwhile, is made from grapes grown in Chile’s Maule Valley. The wine has notes of black fruit and dark chocolate, according to the producer. Concha y Toro says Diablo Dark Red has become the top-selling Chilean red blend in the UK, and it hopes Diablo Black will achieve similar success.

RRP: £10.

Contact: Concha y Toro UK, info@cyt-uk.com

Bijou Le Chic bagnum

Bijou has launched its Le Chic Sauvignon Blanc in ‘bagnum’. The Languedoc producer said the 1.5-litre pouch format has a lower carbon footprint than a bottle. When empty it weighs 100g, whereas 75cl glass bottles can be as much as 10 times that. The shape also allows for eight times more wine to be loaded onto a single lorry. The plastic tap is recyclable, and while the pouch doesn’t yet meet the criteria, trials are under way to make the product fully recyclable. The bagnums also enable the wine to stay fresh for up to 30 days after opening. The wine is made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes from the Pays d’Oc, and has notes of “green apple, grapefruit and jasmine”, according to the producer.

RRP: £15.99.

Contact: Waitrose & Partners, +44 (0)800 188 884

Two Brooks alcoholic sparkling water

Launched by London-based siblings Fabio and Francesca Bruni, Two Brooks is a new British alcoholic sparkling water brand. Having left the M&A insurance and political-risk insurance industries, the Brunis launched Two Brooks to capitalise on the burgeoning demand for hard selzters in the US, a trend that is steadily growing in the UK. The Two Brooks range is made with 100% natural ingredients, is low in alcohol and calories, and is both vegan and gluten-free. The range comprises three flavours: Passion Star, Mango Hi-Ball and Lime Cooler. Each fully recyclable 250ml can contains a base alcohol made from British apples.

RRP: £2.50 per can.

Contact: Two Brooks, info@twobrooks.co.uk

Kopke Quinta de São Luiz 2018

Sogevinus-owned Port house Kopke is to release a single vineyard vintage Port from Quinta de São Luiz. Located on the left bank of the Douro river in Cima Corgo, grapes were selected from the lower and middle parcels of the vineyard with north and north-west exposures. The blend includes 50% Touriga Nacional, and half the grapes used to produce the Port are from old vines (80 years old or more). Produced in a limited run of just 4,783 bottles, the Port has an ABV of 20%, and, according to the producer, stands out for its structure and balance, while also delivering firm tannins.

RRP: TBC

Contact: Hayward Bros, wine@haywardbros.co.uk

English Spirit Caramel Rum Liqueur

UK distiller English Spirit Distillery has launched the latest addition to its rum portfolio: a caramel rum liqueur. Having released its first UK-made rum in 2012, the new liqueur is made from pure cane molasses, which was fermented for two weeks at the Great Yeldham Hall distillery in Essex before being double distilled in small batches. The rum is co-distilled with oak, then blended with caramel and sugars before being bottled at 25% ABV. The liqueur has flavours of “sticky toffee pudding and raisin”, according to the producer, while the bottle design is said to have been inspired by the caramel ‘purple ones’ found in Quality Street chocolates.

RRP: £22.

Contact: English Spirit, James@englishspiritdistillery.com

Duration Brewing Quiet Song

Norfolk’s Duration Brewing has launched its Quiet Song classic wheat beer nationwide. Based on a Belgian style wheat beer, Quiet Song is described as “zingy and refreshing, with notes of stone fruit, citrus, pepper and spice”. Made with a Belgian yeast blend and Hallertau Mittelfruh, MagnumI98 and Mandarina Bavaria hops, the 4.3% ABV beer is the fourth addition to the producer’s core range, and is available in 440ml cans.

RRP: £28.50 (for six 440ml cans).

Contact: Duration Brewing, info@durationbeer.com

La Capilla Crianza

Marques de Caceres-owned Finca La Capilla in Ribera del Duero has released the latest vintage of its Crianza, made from 100% Tempranillo. Made in a limited production of 145 barrels, the wine spends 12 months in fine-grain new French oak, and a part is also put into new American oak barrels. With a minimum of two years’ ageing in oak, the Crianza has a deep colour with aromas of “fresh black fruit, with refined toasted notes on the palate”, according to the producer. The La Capilla range also comprises a Vendimia Seleccionada and a Verdejo from Rueda.

RRP: £16.99.

Contact: Marques de Caceres, antonio@marquesdecaceres.com

Frapin Millésime 1992

Cognac house Frapin has launched the latest addition to its rare vintage Cognacs from the 1992 vintage. Produced in a limited-edition run of 3,000 bottles, the Cognac was distilled on its lees and aged in sealed barrels, a process overseen by the region’s regulatory authority (the BNIC) to add further authenticity to the range. The resulting spirit has aromas of “prunes and liquorice with notes of orange”. Awarded the Taste Master in the Spirits Business Cognac Masters in May, it is a single estate spirit made using grapes from Frapin’s vineyards in the Grande Champagne region, and aged for 26 years in barrel before bottling.

RRP: £145-£160.

Contact: Louis Latour Agencies, rebecca.fraser@louislatour.co.uk

Stanlake Park Bacchus

Stanlake Park, one of only a few vineyards in the English county of Berkshire, has released a range of still wines with revamped branding. Now under new management, the winery has released a Bacchus from the 2018 vintage, which has flavours of grapefruit, gooseberry, passionfruit and peach, according to the producer. Made from 15-year-old vines, the wine was fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel to protect its aromatics. Described as a Sauvignon Blanc-style wine, made in Berkshire, the Bacchus is recommended to be served alongside spiced cheeses, white meats or creamy vegetarian dishes.

RRP: £12.99.

Contact: Stanlake Park, natalia@stanlakepark.com

Domaines Ott Étoile

Organic Bandol and Côtes de Provence producer Domaines Ott has launched a top-end rosé called Étoile. A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, 15% of the wine is aged in spherical ceramic vats. Provençal in style, the pink wine is a Vin de France as it contains a blend of grapes from three vineyards set over two appellations. These include the schist soils of Clos Mireille, the limestone soils of Château de Selle and the calcareous sandstone and sandy marl soils of Château Romassan. The rosé has “aromatic depth, a good body and mouthfeel, with fresh fruit balanced with a subtle saline character”, the producer says.

RRP: £120.

Contact: Maisons Marques et Domaines, +44 20 8812 3380

Renegade Ara Pinot Grigio

Urban winery Renegade, in London, has launched a skin-contact Pinot Grigio ramato made from grapes grown in Pfalz, Germany. Shipped to London in refrigerated trucks, the wine is fermented on its skins for two weeks using wild yeast, and is left unfiltered and unfined. It spends time in French oak, but is mainly kept in stainless steel. Like many of Renegade’s wines, the wine has a face on the label. Ara, the face behind the label, is Spanish data scientist now living in Shoreditch and working in media.

RRP: £24.

Contact: Renegade, warwick@renegadelondonwine.com