Pick of the Launches

Here is the pick of the launches from last month, as featured in Drinks International magazine April edition.

LA BERGERONNETTE

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Brand owner Château Fleur Haut Gaussens

RRP £22.50, €20, $35

Markets UK, US, Belgium, France, Switzerland

Contact Mikael Boyer, export.manager@fleurhautgaussens.com, chateau-fleurhautgaussens.com

Château Fleur Haut Gaussens in Vérac, Bordeaux, has launched La Bergeronnette, a cuvée made from 100% Cabernet Franc. This is the second single varietal release from this estate.

Château Fleur Haut Gaussens was established in 1941 and is now under the direction of fourth-generation winemaker Hervé Lhuillier.

The grapes are grown on a 2ha plot with clay soil over a sub-soil rich in limestone, and all are hand-picked.

The wine is named after the white wagtail birds which can be found on the vineyard.

PLYMOUTH FRUIT CUP

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Brand owner Pernod Ricard

RRP £20

Markets UK only

Contact Lottie Sylvester at Pernod Ricard UK, charlotte.sylvester@pernod-ricard.com

Based on Plymouth gin, Plymouth Fruit Cup (30% abv) is intended to tap into the resurgence of aperitifs in the UK and respond to “significant trends in the booming gin market”.

Serving suggestions are over ice in a wine glass or jug, mixing one part Plymouth Fruit Cup to three parts lemonade or ginger ale. Garnish with plenty of summer fruits, twists of cucumber and a sprig of mint.

Plymouth Fruit Cup will be available to the on and off-trades from summer in 6x70cl cases.

BERRY BROS & RUDD LONDON DRY GIN

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Brand owner Berry Bros & Rudd

RRP €28, £25, $35

Markets Global

Contact Fields Morris & Verdin, fmv.co.uk

After a four year hiatus in production, Berry Bros & Rudd has relaunched its own-label London Dry gin, originally created in 1909.

Berry Bros & Rudd London Dry gin (40.6 abv) was formerly known as The Berry’s Best Gin before its disappearance in 2014 and was referred to in David Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks as an example of superior British gin production.

The gin’s botanicals are led by juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica root and winter savory. Tastiong notes say the nose “hints at violet creams and a soft chalkiness, while the palate is appealingly soft with a floral slant”.

DARK HORSE ROSÉ

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Brand owner E&J Gallo

RRP €9.60, £8.50, $11.90

Markets US and UK

Contact SM-UKSalesandMarketingAdmin@ejgallo.com

Dark Hose Rosé (18% abv), described as a premium rosé created by winemaker Beth Liston, is launching in the UK after success in the US.

This wine consists of a blend of Grenache, Barbera, Pinot Grigio, Tempranillo and Zinfandel. With no oak contact in the process, the company said Liston was able to capture a “fruit-forward flavour that is complex, rich and layered”.

E&J Gallo says: “Pale pink in colour, this rosé is exploding with flavours of fresh red fruit, with a subtle minerality and a floral character, deliciously dry and fresh.

“Liston decided to take summer by the grapes and create a fruit-forward, Provence-style rosé that pairs with sunshine and backyard budgets.

REFRESHINGLY LIGHT

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Brand owner Fever-Tree

RRP £7.50 per 50cl

Markets UK only

Contact fever-tree.com/

Refreshingly Light is Fever-Tree’s new extended range of low-calorie mixers. All are made by blending fruit sugars with the same botanicals and ingredients as used in the brand’s regular tonics and mixers, all of which are sourced from small specialist suppliers around the world.

The range consists of eight low-calorie mixers, all containing less than 5g of sugar per 10cl.

Flavours include Mediterranean, Elderflower, Aromatic and Lemon tonics, as well as mixers such as Ginger Ale and Madagascan Cola, designed to complement the flavours of dark spirits.

CHÂTEAU DE POMMARD SIMONE 2015

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Brand owner Famille Carabello-Baum Pommard

RRP €340, £300, $420

Markets Global

Contact Thomas Moschetta, thomas@chateaudepommard.com

Simone (13.5% abv) is described as the “heart and soul of Clos Marey-Monge”.

It is “a limited-production wine from the 0.5ha Simone terroir with horse-ploughed soils, hand-harvested grapes, and barrel-aged for an extended duration of 22 to 28 months, with only 1,800 bottles produced”.

THE ROMAN ROAD CHARDONNAY 2016

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Brand Owner Simpsons Wine Estate

RRP £22.99

Markets UK only

Contact Simpsons Wine Estate, sales@simpsonswine.com

The Roman Road Chardonnay 2016 (11.5% abv) is the first wine from Simpsons Wine Estate in Kent, UK. Using 100% estate-grown Chardonnay, the wine has been produced from grapes picked during the first harvest in October 2016.

The first vines in the Roman Road vineyard were planted in 2014 and carried out on the first harvest last October. A small quantity of Chardonnay was set aside to make the first still wine from the estate, which is situated on the south-facing slopes of the North Downs of Kent, near Canterbury.

Created from Burgundy clone 584, selected for its hardiness and concentration, this still white wine is described as displaying “aromas of white peach and lime, followed by smooth flavours of cashew nut and hints of spice”.

Just 680 bottles of Roman Road Chardonnay 2016 have been produced.

HENNESSY PARADIS IMPÉRIAL

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Brand owner LVMH Moët Hennessy

Markets Global

RRP £1,900, €3,000, $2,600

Contact Moet Hennessy UK, tel: +44 (0)20 7808 4400, clos19.com/en-gb/hennessy-paradis-imperial-bottle-p-100114

Hennessy Paradis Impérial (40% abv), inspired by the cognac blended for the Imperial Court of Russia in 1818, is the creation of Yann Fillioux the 7th-generation master blender at Hennessy.

“The nose brings summer flowers and notes of freshly cut grass, jasmine and orange blossom. And to the nose a light note of smoke from the oak barrels echoes, complemented by gentle spices and a persistent finish.”

1770 GLASGOW SINGLE MALT WHISKY

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Brand owner Glasgow Distillery Company

RRP €113, £100, $139

Markets Online orders only, via a ballot which closes in June

Contact Mike Hayward, mike@glasgowdistillery.com

1770 Glasgow Single Malt Whisky (46% abv), named in homage to the original Glasgow Distillery which was established in that year, is said to be the first single malt whisky to be produced by an independent distiller in Glasgow for more than a century.

It’s a limited batch run of 5,000 bottles, with the chance to buy being allocated via a ballot system, which will close in early June.

JURA SINGLE MALT WHISKY

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Brand owner Whyte & Mackay

RRP €37-€85, £33-£75, $46-$105

Markets Global

Contact jurawhisky.com/

Jura Single Malt Whisky has launched the biggest undertaking in its history with a new range comprising five single malts (40-44% abv) constructed around a new signature style with “subtle smoke complemented by sweetness from maturation in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels”. Tasting notes are as follows.

Journey – amber gold with a refined balance of rich fruit and gentle smoky notes.

Jura 10 – copper gold with a rich and rounded balance of subtle smoky notes with a sweet sherry cask finish.

Jura 12 – golden hue with a rich and indulgent balance of subtly smoky notes with a sweet sherry cask finish. Seven Wood – mahogany gold with a rare tropical richness and a hint of smoke.

Jura 18 – rosewood in colour with a rich and full bodied red wine finish and refined smoky notes.

Alongside the new whisky style, the entire range has been redesigned for a more refined, premium and stylish presentation.