Top 10 new products: April

Carolina, Santa Carolina

Chile’s Santa Carolina has launched a range of wines in homage to Carolina Íñiguez – the wife of its founder, Luis Pereira – called Carolina. The range includes a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Colchagua, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay from Leyda, and a Carmenère from Cachapoal.

A wine intended to be enjoyed every day, its simple, fresh and modern label mirrors the real-life Carolina, who can “turn even the simplest of moments into a grand one”, according to the producer.

RRP: £9.99.

Contact: Rodrigo Diaz, rdiaz@santacarolina.cl

OPIA, Pierre Chavin

Pierre Chavin has unleashed its latest innovation onto the UK market – an organic and alcohol-free non-fermented ‘wine’. The range includes red, rosé, Chardonnay and sparkling expressions, and is made by crushing and pressing grapes as normal before a period of maceration in French oak.

The must is then filtered and the juice pasteurised with the wine benefitting from the extraction of polyphenol flavour compounds from the skins, but with three times fewer calories than a fermented wine and no sulphites.

RRP: £7.99.

Contact: Lorris Cazals, +33 6 85 65 17 84, lcazals@pierre-chavin.com

Armand de Brignac BDB Magnum

Champagne Armand de Brignac has released its new blanc de blancs in magnum in the UK. Part of its prestige cuvée collection, Armand de Brignac Blanc de Blancs in magnum is a blend of the 2005, 2006 and 2008 vintages, with fewer than 1,000 bottles made.

Only a small quantity of this blend was set aside in a larger-format bottle to study its ageing and development. The magnum was rested for seven years on its lees, followed by an additional year on cork, resulting in a cuvée with notes of baked pastry, pineapple, orange blossom and almonds.

RRP £1,650.

Contact: New Generation McKinley, +44 (0)20 7928 7300

Delight, McGuigan Wines

Australian wine brand McGuigan has launched a new range of de-alcoholised wines in partnership with Marks & Spencer. Tapping into the growth of low-alcohol wines, the Delight range includes a Moscato and a rosé.

Having gone through an advanced technique to take the wine down to just 0.4% ABV, the palate is light and refreshing, while still offering a full flavour.

RRP £5.

Contact: Australian Vintage, +44 (0)20 7924 8850

Bollinger R.D. 2004

Champagne Bollinger has released its latest R.D. expression – the 2004 vintage. Aged for more than 13 years, and only recently disgorged, the Bollinger R.D. 2004 is a “generous wine with intense aromas and an incomparable freshness for such age,” said chef de cave Gilles Descôtes. The 2004 vintage saw below-average annual temperatures and rainfall, with September fostering a slow maturation allowing the development of an intense aromatic expression of fruit.

RRP: £180.00.

Contact: Mentzendorff, +44 (0)20 7840 3600

Empress 1908 Gin

A vivid indigo-coloured gin from Canada is looking to make its mark on the UK on-trade, following a successful trial in the north of England. Made by Victoria Distillers in British Columbia, Empress 1908 is an all-natural gin micro-distilled in small-batch copper-pot stills using eight botanicals: juniper, rose, coriander seed, grapefruit peel, ginger root, cinnamon bark, butterfly pea blossoms and Fairmont Empress blend tea.

The spirit gets its bright hue from the butterfly pea blossom, with its colour turning to a soft pink with the addition of citrus or tonic.

RRP: £36.99.

Contact: Marvin Henshaw, marvin@empressgin.com

EG Pomegranate & Rose Liqueur

Edinburgh Gin has announced a nationwide roll-out of its latest fruit gin liqueur, Pomegranate & Rose, following its exclusive launch in John Lewis. Bottled at 20% abv, Pomegranate & Rose is inspired by the Orient, infusing ruby-red jewels of pomegranate seeds with damask rose petals. This liqueur joins the rest of Edinburgh Gin’s family of fruit gin liqueurs: Raspberry, Elderflower, Rhubarb & Ginger, and Plum & Vanilla.

RRP: £18.49, 50cl / £10.99, 20cl.

Contact: Edinburgh Gin Distillery, +44 (0)131 656 2810

Bunnahabhain 2004 Moine

Islay’s most remote distillery, Bunnahabhain, has unveiled a new limited edition expression – a peated Bunnahabhain 2004 Moine Brandy Finish. The release is a peated malt matured in brandy casks, which is a first for the distillery. Bottled at 55.7% abv, the whisky has a nose of honeyed nuts and rich oak, with hints of dried fruit and grapes, and a smoky, peppery finish.

Described as “truly distinctive”, it has a rich and smooth palate created by the balance between dried fruit, a rich brandy influence and strong smokiness, with a lingering sweet finish.

RRP of £80.

Contact: Bunnahabhain, +44 (0)1496 840 557

Pothecary Thai blend gin

Pothecary is a British-made gin handcrafted in small batches at a micro-distillery in Christchurch, Dorset, by Martin Jennings and Lukasz Dwornik.

Its Thai Blend limited edition expression offers aromas of lime with hints of tropical fruit, fresh floral turmeric and coriander leaf overlain with juniper to create a complex and fresh style. On the palate, there are notes of coconut, pineapple and juniper, with a hint of fresh ginger and mango.

RRP £49.

Contact: Pothecary, lukasz@pothecarygin.co.uk

The Glenlivet Code

The Glenlivet Code is a “mysterious” single malt Scotch whisky inspired by British code breakers, released without tasting notes or cask information. Described as demonstrating a “labyrinth of flavours”, its release will be supported by a digital experience that aims to test the senses of whisky drinkers. After decoding the whisky, users will be given a score to see how they rank against their peers.

Official tasting notes won’t be revealed until the end of the year.

RRP: £85.

Contact: Chivas Brothers, +44 (0)20 8250 1801