Top new products of the month

Disznóko Kapi Vineyard Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos

Tokaji estate Disznóko, owned by AXA Millésimes, has released the 2011 vintage of its single vineyard Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos in tiny amounts. The Furmint grapes that go into the wine are grown on mineral-rich volcanic soils at the estate’s south-facing Kapi Vineyard and were picked by hand in three vineyard selections. According to its makers, 2011’s hot, dry conditions led to early ripening and leisurely botrytis growth, producing grapes of “exceptional quality”, leading to a wine of “concentration and elegance, set off nicely by beautifully supple acidity”. Aged for two years in oak before bottling, the wine was released in the UK this month, with just 4,654 numbered and signed bottles going on sale boasting labels that look like tasting room samples. Its makers describe the sweet wine as offering aromas of “white fruit, apricot, lime, peach, pineapple, tropical fruit and a hint of wood”.

RRP: £90

Champagne & Chateau +44 (0)20 7326 9655

London Cru Bacchus 2014

A host of new releases have gone on sale at London’s first urban winery, London Cru in Earls Court, including a Barbera from Piedmont and a Garnacha from Calatayud in northern Spain. It was the homegrown Bacchus that caught our eye though. The wine is made from grapes grown at Sandhurst Vineyards in Kent, which was happy to sell them due to a bumper 2014 harvest. London Cru winemaker Gavin Monery was keen to express Bacchus’ character while keeping the acidity in check. The wine was whole bunch-pressed and 30% of it was fermented in old oak to round it out and add texture. According to Monery, the Bacchus boasts “herbaceous aromatics and vibrant acidity” with notes of “elderflower, nettles and white flowers” and “stone fruit and lemon pith” on the palate.

RRP: £15

London Cru +44 (0)20 7381 7871

Jefferson’s barrel-aged Manhattan

Cellar Trends has cannily jumped on the bottled cocktail bandwagon with a bottle-aged Manhattan. The 34% ABV Bourbon-laced drink, Jefferson’s The Manhattan Barrel Finished Cocktail, was created by Jefferson’s founder Trey Zoeller in partnership with David Granger, editor-in-chief of the American edition of Esquire magazine. It is the first barrel-finished bottled Manhattan cocktail to be sold on an international scale. The pair spent two years perfecting the recipe, which includes Jefferson’s six-year-old Bourbon, dry and sweet vermouth and barrel-aged spiced cherry bitters. Prior to bottling, the cocktail was aged for 90 days in oak to help marry the ingredients and imbue the liquid with Madeira and vanilla notes. Boasting notes of “bitter herbs, vermouth and citrus”, according to its makers, the Manhattan has a “clean and lengthy finish with soft notes of licorice”. You’ll get around 10 cocktails from a 50ml bottle.

RRP: £50

Cellar Trends +44 (0)1283 217 703

Punching Mule Moscow Mule

With whisperings that the vodka-based Moscow Mule is making a comeback, Colorado small batch distiller Mile High Spirits is one step ahead of the game with the release of a Moscow Mule canned cocktail called Punching Mule emblazoned with the image of mascot “Marty the mule”. The punchy drink, which weighs in a 7% ABV, is made with Elevate vodka, ginger beer and locally sourced beet sugar. “We care about what goes in the can, that’s why we source high quality, natural ingredients and never use high fructose corn syrup,” say its makers. In addition to Punching Mule, the Denver distillery makes vodka, Bourbon, gin, rum and Tequila. The drink, which has just gone on sale throughout the US, is designed to be enjoyed on the move in the park, on the beach, at picnics and barbecues – remember those?

Punching Mule www.punchingmule.com 

Cockburn’s bicentenary tins

As part of Cockburn’s bicentenary celebrations, its Special Reserve Port will go on sale in black, red and gold limited edition tins at selected wine retailers next month. It is hoped the new packaging will catch the eyes of younger consumers who might not otherwise venture into the Port category. The best bit is that the brand isn’t charging a penny more for the snazzy tins, in the same way Veuve Clicquot keeps the price the same for its flagship Yellow Label fizz in its various wacky guises. The original Cockburn’s Special Reserve was launched in 1969 and created a new category that revolutionised the way people perceived Port, taking to a wider audience.

RRP: £12

Fells +44 (0)1442 870 900

Gnarly Head Double Black

New from Delicato Family Vineyards is Gnarly Head Double Black, a red blend suited to autumn drinking. Paying homage to the family’s first vineyard plantings in 1924, Double Black is made predominantly from Zinfandel grapes grown in Lodi in northern California. According to its makers, the inky Double Black offers “rich aromas of blackberry preserves, cocoa, raspberry, fig jam and caramel, with a hint of baking spice”. “As the popularity of red blends continues in the US, so too does consumer demand for richer, more lush wines with concentrated, darker fruit profiles,” says Chris Indelicato, president of Delicato.

Delicato Family Vineyards +1 707 265 1777

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2006

The 2006 vintage of the jewel in Taittinger’s crown, prestige cuvée Comtes de Champagne, was launched in London last month at Christie’s in St James’s. Made from 100% Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyards in the Côtes des Blancs, the blanc de blancs was launched by Clovis Taittinger to members of the trade. “The 2006 vintage is well balanced but reveals incredible complexity. It’s delicious now, but I’m excited to see how it develops over time,” he said. According to its maker, the sparkler boasts “fresh, refined tangerine-like fruitiness” on the nose and “mature notes of ripe fruit, raisin pastries and candied fruit”. On the palate, the wine is “supple, full-bodied and rich” with a “lively attack” and “a hint of spice”. The fizz, which has 9g/l of sugar, spent a decade in the Taittinger cellar and was disgorged by hand before release.

RRP: £100-125

Hatch Mansfield +44 (0)1344 871 800

The Dalmore 21

The Dalmore has released two limited edition expressions, The Dalmore 21 and The Dalmore 30, made by master distiller Richard Paterson. The 21-year-old expression is aged in American white oak and finished in first-fill Matusalem oloroso Sherry butts from González Byass. Just 8,000 bottles of the nectar have been made, which, according to Paterson, boasts notes of “orange fondant, brandy snaps, fresh coffee, chocolate ganache and marmalade”, with “ginger cake and caramelised pear” on the nose and “cinnamon apple and macerated cherries” on the palate. “From watching over the new make spirit as it slumbered in its casks to selecting the perfect assemblage of fine aged stocks and indulgent woods to finesse our whisky in, both The Dalmore 21 and The Dalmore 30 are whiskies that I have spent many years perfecting. The results are exceptional; the liquids are rich, complex, and truly magnificent,” Paterson enthuses.

RRP: £350

Whyte & Mackay +44 (0)141 248 5771 

Motörhead Whisky 

The perfect gift for the metal head in your life – British heavy metal band Motörhead has released a whisky to mark its 40th year in the music business. Produced by Swedish distillery Mackmyra, the limited edition Swedish single malt has been aged for five years in new American oak and finished in oloroso Sherry barrels for six months. “All of us in the band have been active in the production process and are very proud over the result,” said Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee. Bottled at 40% ABV, the liquid is described as “perfectly balanced with notes of caramel and vanilla from the American oak”. This isn’t the band’s first foray into the world of drinks. It established Motörhead Drinks several years ago, which produces a Shriaz, rosé, vodka and beer. In 2013 Motörhead released a bag-in-box Shiraz modelled to look like a guitar amp.

RRP: £50

Brands For Fans www.brandsforfans.se