Angove Brightlands Shiraz
This week, the Angove family debuted the first vintage of its new flagship wine, the Brightlands Shiraz 2020.
Sourced from the finest single barrels from the family’s two McLaren Vale vineyards, Brightlands strikes a harmony between Angove’s Warboys and Angels Rise vineyards. Despite their geographic proximity, the two vineyards vary greatly in altitude, soil composition, and vine age.
After being picked, vinified and aged separately in accordance to the different requirements of the respective profiles, assemblage occurred on December 2021 after more than a year and half in used-oak barrels.
According to Chief Winemaker Tony Ingle, “the blend components, even as a very young wine, seamlessly integrated and complemented each other and we knew we had something special. We have patiently followed the wine’s progress and the inaugural Brightlands Shiraz release is a wine of elegance, grace and power. Truly a delightful composition from two of McLaren Vale’s finest vineyards.”
The name itself, Brightlands, pays homage to the birthplace of the Angove family’s winemaking legacy.
Angove Brightlands McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020 is available now at an RRP of $125.
Read more in this Drinks Trade article.
Grand Marnier Quintessence
Grand Marnier has announced the Australian launch of its Quintessence cognac, an ultra-exclusive French cognac that forms part of Campari Group’s RARE portfolio.
The Grande Cuvée Quintessence liqueur is crafted using the oldest family reserves available to the company, sourced from 11 selected barrels. This includes Hors D’âge cognacs up to 70 years old from Grande Champagne, two barrels from 1947, and three demijohns from the cellar’s Paradis believed to be even older.
Every bottle of Quintessence is bottled in a hand-crafted Baccarat drop-shaped decanter which is partnered with an etched podium facilitating easy display. The roundness of the base is designed to fit in the hollow of a hand.
Currently, only two bottles of Grand Marnier Quintessence have been made available in Australia, each retailing at $5,600 per bottle. These can be purchased now via Campari’s House of RARE website
Tanica Australian Native Plum Aperitif for Spritz.
Tanica, an aperitif brand championing Australian ingredients, has released its first product to the Australian market: an Aperitif for Spritz centred around native Davidson Plums sourced from a family-owned farm in NSW’s Northern Rivers region.
Under a team led by Head Distiller and Co-Founder of Marionette liqueurs Shaun Byrne, the plums are macerated in a spirit distilled from Australian botanicals including orange peel, strawberry gum leaf, mint, and cinnamon, with the final expression bottled at 17% abv.
According to Shaun Byrne, “Tanica is in its own league, boasting the natural, zesty acidity of Davidson’s plum, the freshness of orange peel and mint, and the herbaceous aroma of strawberry gum leaf, offering a true sense of place in this locally crafted aperitif. It’s an Australian twist on a beloved category, perfect for drinking neat, mixing with soda or spritzing.”
Designed as a less-bitter alternative to traditional European aperitif styles, Founder Adriane McDermott is hopeful that the product will capitalise on growing demand for spritz-styled products: “Spritz-style drinking hits so many converging trends – moderation, ease, daytime drinking, and embracing local provenance,” she said.
Tanica is available now for an RRP of $64 on its website or via Paramount Liquor, ALM and NOC Wholesale for retailers & venues.
