The monthly round-up of what’s new in low/no, beer, cider, wine, spirits, RTDs and mixers.
WINE
Gosset Celebris Blanc de Blancs 2012
£200
USP: Champagne Gosset has unveiled its first ever 100% Chardonnay vintage wine. Gosset Celebris Blanc de Blancs 2012 is a limited edition of 15,000 bottles.
Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2020
£TBC
USP: Described as a “vintage of huge potential”, the 2020 red was made in the “estate’s hallmark style”. Axel Heinz, estate director of Ornellaia, said: “Over time, [2020] will be regarded as one of Bolgheri’s greatest vintages.”
19 Crimes Sparkling White
£10 – £12
USP: The Australian wine is the first sparkling to have been released by Treasury Wine Estates’ 19 Crimes, with the brand hoping to bring “younger consumers into the sparkling wine category”. The launch will be supported by a marketing campaign featuring in-store activity and digital content.
Garage Wine Co’s Revival Old Vine País 2021
£17.95
USP: The Garage Wine Co’s Revival project was launched in Maule, Chile, to revive small parcels of old vine País and support local, small plot holders. The new 2021 País Old Vine Revival and other wines from Garage Wine Co are distributed in the UK by Freixenet Copestick. They are available to the on trade through Jascots and direct to consumers at online retailer Slurp.
Masseto 2019
£659 (subject to change)
USP: Made using grapes grown on Masseto’s Tuscan vineyard, the 2019 vintage red is said to have a “refreshing and vibrant finish” with “red fruit scents”, while the vineyard’s blue clay soil forms “the core” of the wine.
Roebuck Estates Classic Cuvée 2016
£38
USP: The new Roebuck Estates Classic Cuvée 2016 is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir and 13% Pinot Meunier with fruit coming from the Roebuck and Roman Villa vineyards.
2021 Vertebra-Figuera, Terroir Sense Fronteres
£37.48 via Armit Wines
USP: Vertebra-Figuera is made with Garnatxa Fina, which is a “local Grenache with bigger berries and thinner skins that thrives on the plateau 600 meters up the Figuera mountain in pink clay and gypsum-laced vineyards”.
Langham’s Corallian Classic Cuvée NV
£29.50
USP: Named after the coralliferous limestone group on which the vines grow, Langham’s Corallian Classic Cuvée NV has a base vintage from 2019 and 24% reserve wine. It is a blend of 81% Chardonnay, 11% Pinot Noir, 8% Pinot Meunier.
Amandla by Her Wine Collection
Approx. £9
USP: Launching in the UK off-trade this Autumn, the South African wine brand features a Shiraz-Zinfandel and a Sauvignon Blanc, with a rosé expected to be available from 2023. 2% of the company’s profits will be donated to the Amandla scholarship fund to provide “valuable career opportunities for the next generation.”
Bollinger 60th anniversary limited edition Champagne
£7,000
USP: 2022 marks the 60th anniversary of the James Bond films. To celebrate its partnership with 007, Champagne Bollinger has released 25 jeroboams of its 2007 vintage. This limited edition cuvée is inspired by Dr. No’s 1962 iconic opening sequence.
SPIRITS & LIQUEURS
The Cheshire single malt by Weetwood
46% abv
£60
USP: Distilled using “English malted barley and soft Cheshire water”, Weetwood believes the whisky to be Cheshire’s first single malt. The first release is said to be “bursting with fruit and vanilla character”.
Procera Red Dot and Green Dot Gins
47% abv and 51% abv, respectively
£95 and £115, respectively
USP: Kenyan gin distiller Procera has announced the latest annual vintage release of its Red Dot and Green Dot Gins. Distilled in the capital of Nairobi, both gins use “fresh juniperus procera harvested nearby in the Kenyan Highlands”. Red Dot uses five African pepper botanicals, while Green Dot is a “one-botanical gin”, which uses components from one tree, including juniper berries, toasted wood and tree foliage.
Amber Beverage UK’s five Japanese whiskies
USP: Amber Beverage UK has brought five Japanese whiskies to the UK, under the Akashi and Togouchi brands.
The Togouchi launch includes four expressions that are new to the market: Togouchi Beer Cask (40% abv), Togouchi Sake Cask (40% abv), Togouchi Pure Malt (40% abv) and Togouchi Single Malt (43% abv). These join three existing UK SKUs: Togouchi Premium, Togouchi 9 YO and Togouchi 15 YO.
The Akashi addition is Akashi Blended Sherry Cask (50% abv).
Courvoisier Rouge Luxe
40% abv
£42
USP: Exclusively created for Tesco, Courvoisier Rouge Luxe is described as having “rich and complex notes of vanilla, dried fruit, sandalwood, and leather”. The cognac is matured first in French Limousin oak barrels, followed by a second maturation in French Fontainebleau oak casks.
Douglas Laing & Co Big Peat Christmas Edition and Scallywag Winter Edition
54.2% and 54% abv
£57.50 (estimated)
USP: The two seasonal whisky bottlings are aimed at the Christmas gifting market. Big Peat Christmas Edition is said to have “rich earthy notes, balanced by a toasted marshmallow sweetness”, while Scallywag Winter Edition, which is limited to 5,400 bottles, is “spicy with hints of cinnamon and ginger”.
Berry Bros. & Rudd Nordic Cask whisky range
57.6 – 59.9% abv
£140 – £165
USP: Created to showcase the “innovative approach of the Nordic whisky region”, the Nordic Cask range features five whiskies from Nordic distilleries, as well as the “world’s first cross-Nordic blend, Vindoga.” The range also includes Thy, Smogen, Teerenpeeli and Stauning.
Cîroc Passion
37.5% abv
£38
USP: Launched amid the rising popularity of flavoured vodka, the tropical-inspired vodka has notes of “pineapple, mango, citrus and hibiscus”. Nick Pearson, brand manager for Cîroc, Diageo GB, said: “New flavours are crucial for retailers and operators alike, who are looking to get customers excited about their drinks range.”
M&S Distilled spirits range
All 40% abv except the whisky, which is 42% abv
£18 (per 70cl bottle)
USP: The retailer’s 10-strong spirits collection is aimed at “helping customers take their drinks at home to the next level, without breaking the bank”. The three vodkas in the range are five times distilled and charcoal-filtered; the three gins are triple distilled and made with M&S’s blend of seven botanicals; and the Blended Scotch Whisky and XO Brandy have “both been given further ageing time – eight and five years, respectively”. All are made without any artificial colourings or flavourings. The range also includes an own-label tequila and a spiced rum.
Glenfiddich Time Re:Imagined
£900-35,000
USP: The collection comprises Glenfiddich 30 Year Old (RRP £900) Glenfiddich 40 Year Old (RRP £3,500) and Glenfiddich 50 Year Old (RRP £35,000). Claudia Falcone, Glenfiddich global brand director, said: “The quality of these liquids has inspired the distinctive packaging that beautifully tell the stories of these single malts and is a fitting tribute to the unpredictable nature of time itself.”
The Glenturret 50 year old
40% abv
£40,000
USP: The first ever 50 year old from The Glenturret is limited to 150 bottles. The refill Sherry cask was filled in 1972 and bottled at cask strength. The bottle is housed in a black crystal decanter produced by luxury French crystal house, Lalique – the owner of the brand. Bottle number one will be auctioned by Sotheby’s and it comes with a one-off piece of artwork by Scottish artist Matthew Draper.
Tamdhu Dedication Society Single Cask 2003
55.4% abv
£349
USP: To mark the brand’s 125th anniversary, Tamdhu has released a limited-edition whisky which was created with input from its ‘Dedication Society’ members club. 640 bottles are available of the whisky which Tamdhu distillery manager Sandy McIntyre said reflects the producer’s “dedication to full sherry maturation.”
Highland Park Cask Strength Release No.3
64.1%
£65
USP: Produced using Highland Park’s “straight from the cask” method, no water is added after maturation to ensure a “robust and intense flavour”. For a “smokier” finish, Release No.3 uses whisky made with a higher proportion of Orkney peated malt compared to the other single malts in the Cask Strength series.
Adnams’ Distiller’s Choice Spirits of Broadside, Islay Finish
57.15% abv
£110
USP: Spirit of Broadside, Adnams’ “eau-de-vie de bière” has been aged in French oak for five years and finished in an Islay cask for six months. The release celebrates Broadside beer’s 50th birthday year.
Tamdhu Cigar Malt II
53.8% abv
£195.99
USP: Tamdhu Speyside single malt Scotch whisky has announced the release of Cigar Malt II – characterised by Tamdhu’s dedication to full maturation in first fill European oak Oloroso sherry casks.
BEER & CIDER
Action Against Hunger x Olia Hercules x Northern Monk As One beer
5.5%
£4 (440ml)
USP: Independent Leeds-based Brewer, Northern Monk, collaborated with Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules to create this plum and buckwheat beer in association with Action Against Hunger. All profits from the limited-edition beer will go to Action Against Hunger’s response in Ukraine.
Goose on the Loose
5% abv
£1.49 per can
USP: AB InBev-owned Goose Island has teamed up with retailer Aldi to launch Goose on the Loose. The exclusive, limited release is dry-hopped with Mosaic, Cascade and Amarillo. As part of the activation, shoppers can enter a competition to win a trip to Chicago, home of the original Goose Island brewery.
RTDs & MIXERS
Elephant Gin Negroni
28% abv
£35.90
USP: Launched as part of Negroni week (September 12 – 18), the cocktail is made from equal parts Elephant Gin, vermouth and bitters which have then been aged for six months in oak barrels. 15% of bottle profits will be donated to the Elephant Gin Foundation, which supports the conservation of the African elephant.
Grown sparkling white range
4.5% abv
£14 (4 x 330ml)
USP: Available in Sparkling Rhubarb & Ginger and Elderflower & Fresh Basil, Grown’s vegan-friendly canned drinks are described as “sparkling apple wines”. Grown founder Chris Croissant said the range was designed to offer a “lighter drink that was lower in alcohol” than traditional wine.
Sollasa & Tonic
6% abv
£12 (4 x 330ml)
USP: Launched to coincide with Sollasa’s ‘first birthday’, the RTDs combine Sollasa’s spirit blend with Double Dutch Skinny Tonic Water. With notes of lychee, orange zest, mint and basil, Sollasa was designed specifically to “complement Indian cuisine”.
Fever-Tree Damson & Sloe tonic
£1.90 (50cl)
USP: Fever-Tree Damson & Sloe tonic will return for the Autumn/Winter season, replacing the brand’s Summer limited edition, Passionfruit and Lime Tonic Water, which will be back on shelves next March.
LOW & NO ALCOHOL
Bosca low and no alcohol wines (pictured)
0% and 5% abv
USP: LWC Drinks has launched Italy-based Bosca’s range of low and no abv wines in the UK. The launch includes 0% abv wines and a 5% abv range. The 5% abv Sparkletini range includes: Peach, Strawberry, Raspberry, Watermelon, Green Apple and Elderflower flavours. The company’s 5% abv wines comprise: Verdi Sparkling White, Verdi Sparkling Red and Verdi Sparkling Rosé. The 0% abv wine range includes Toselli Bollicine Spumante – White, and Toselli Bollicine Spumante – Red.
