Chapel Hill The Devil Shiraz
McLaren Vale’s Chapel Hill has released a new icon wine, The Devil Shiraz 2020. The new release, which coincides with the winery’s 50th anniversary, will replace The Vicar as Chapel Hill’s flagship wine.
At last week’s launch event in Sydney, Chief Winemaker Michael Fragos said, “we really wanted to release a wine to celebrate our 50th vintage, and we just took a step back and said, you know, what’s important to Chapel Hill? What do we want this wine to speak to people about? And I guess for us, we wanted a wine that really epitomised that attention to detail through the whole process.”
Named after the idiom the devil is in the detail, The Devil Shiraz 2020 is crafted from fruit from the winery’s oldest remaining vines which were planted in its House Block vineyards in 1977.
“A major focus for the team over the last 10 years has been on improving our vineyards’ soils and, more specifically, the soils and vines in our House Block,” said Fragos.
“It’s a tiny block, just 0.8 hectares, but it has always had huge potential. The geology of the block is a very humbling 550 million years old.”
Only eight barrels of Chapel Hill The Devil Shiraz 2020 were made, with each bottle retailing at $180. Also in Chapel Hill’s icon collection is The Vicar Shiraz 2021 at $80, and the Road Block Shiraz 2021 at $65, and the Gorge Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, also at $65.
For more information and insights from Chapel Hill’s Senior Viticulturist, click here.
Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
The House of Rémy Martin has released its coveted 1738 Accord Royal eaux-de-vie to Australia, coinciding with the 300th anniversary of the Cognac House.
“Celebrating 300 years of history is a milestone for Rémy Martin,” said Jean-Philippe Hecquet, CEO.
“By inviting our consumers to explore our craft and story and by teaming up with the most promising creative talents, together we build exceptional cognacs for the next generations.”
While new to Australia, the highly esteemed 1738 Accord Royal was first launched in 1965, deriving its name from the year that King Louis XV gave Rémy Martin the Royal Approval. This Royal Approval granted Martin exclusive permission to plant vines on the King’s land in Cognac.
1738 Accord Royal is renowned for its exceptional smoothness and rounded oakiness, developed from the toasting of the casks.
The Rémy Martin brand forms part of the Rémy Cointreau portfolio and is being distributed throughout Australia by Spirits Platform. For more information, For more information, contact the Spirits Platform Sales Team here.
ABCo Son of A Nun Mid Strength
Australia’s second largest independent brewery Australian Beer Company (ABCo) has announced a new addition to its ‘better-for-you’ beer brand, Son of a Nun.
The new release, Son of a Nun Mid Strength, is the third beer in the lineup, joining the Son of a Nun Low Carb and Son of a Nun Zero Alcohol. Made to mimic the taste profile of Son of a Nun Low Carb, Mid Strength features an even lower amount of carbs per can with only 75 calories and a 3% abv. A case of 30 cans carries an RRP of $63.
Currently, Son of a Nun Mid Strength is exclusive to independent liquor stores. For ranging enquiries, contact customerservice@australianbeerco.com.au.
To read what ABCo’s Marketing Manager said about the new product, read this Drinks Trade article.
Skrewball peanut butter whiskey is coming to Aus
Skrewball, the world’s first super-premium peanut butter whiskey, will soon be available in the Australian market as part of Pernod Ricard’s Australian portfolio.
The expansion follows multiple years of rapid growth since it was launched in the US in 2018. It is now the number one peanut butter whiskey flavoured liqueur in the world, leading out its nearest competitor 15:1 by both value and volume. It also currently stands as the number five flavoured whiskey brand overall.
Pernod Ricard, who became a majority stakeholder in the Skrewball brand in 2023, is hoping to capitalise on the Australian flavoured spirits category which currently stands as the second fastest growing spirits segment in Australia.
The new product is expected to be available nationwide from mid July, and from NZ from late June, at an RRP of $65. For more information, visit www.skrewballwhiskey.com.
Stockman’s Ridge Left Bank and Right Bank
Orange’s Stockman’s Ridge Wines has added two new wines to its Signature Range: Right Bank and Left Bank.
Both from the 2022 vintage, the two new releases draw direct inspiration from the two banks of France’s Bordeaux region. Whereas Left Bank pays homage to the Médoc region of Bordeaux and is a 60/40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Right Back pays homage to Bordeaux regions such as St Emilion with a 70/30 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
According to Jonathan Hambrook, owner of Stockman’s Ridge, “the region is perfectly suited to these varieties. While there is strong focus on the Burgundy varieties in Orange, history has shown that these Bordeaux varieties excel.
“I have a real love of these styles and wanted to explore them further with our ‘Left Bank’ blend of Cabernet Merlot which has a long and proud history in Australia.”
Stockman’s Ridge Signature Right Bank and Stockman’s Ridge Signature Left Bank are both being distributed nationally by the winery and carry an RRP of $45.
For more details, contact Jonathan Hambrook at Stockman’s Ridge at 02 6365 6212 or enquiry@stockmansridge.com.au.
Click here to read more about the release.
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