New Taste

New from the south of France is a super-premium French "brand" called Chêne Blue.

The range, imported by Winelife Ltd, is the result of a decade's hard graft to transform the vineyards of Domaine de la Verrière in Provence, which were bought by Nicole and Xavier Rolet, president of the London Stock Exchange.

An indulgence of the rich? Perhaps, but the quality shines through although their hefty price tags may make them a hard sell.

Abélard 2006, which has a Vin de Pays de Vaucluse status, has an rsp of £48.54 including VAT. The Grenche/Syrah blend has a nose of smoke, vanilla, dark fruit and a touch of spice and is smooth and velvety in the mouth. Aliot 2006 (£40.87), uses Rousanne, Marsanne and white Grenache and is a complex, aromatic and weighty wine with long length. There is also a Héloïse 2006 red of Syrah, Grenache and Viognier (£48.54) and a rosé 2007 of Syrah and Grenache (£23.15)...

Harpers' all-female tasting team strives to always keep an open mind, but couldn't help getting a bit huffy about a new low-alcohol, sweet and small-sized wine range aimed at the "young female wine consumer". You calling us sweet-toothed lightweights?

Distributed by Concha y Toro UK, Birds & Bees wines have an abv of 10% and are offered in both 50cl and 75cl bottles with pretty designs of flowers and stuff on the label.

Both the wines are from Mendoza. The white, a blend of Torrontes, Chenin Blanc and Viognier, and the Malbec, retain a high residual sugar level. The white was intensely aromatic, full of grape, tropical fruit and a slightly confected note. We thought that with soda and a squeeze of lime as recommended it would have made a great aperitif, although we found the red - sickly-sweet, soapy and with aromas of laundry liquid and little varietal expression - less successful...

Jacob's Creek is downsizing its Three Vines range with a 50cl and tri-varietal version. Developed by Pernod Ricard in response to the growing number of consumers looking for smaller sizes, the alohol level of the red, white and rosé has also been reduced to 12%. The wines are light, refreshing and easy drinking, with an rsp of £4.99.

Luxury Champagne brand Armand de Brignac is introducing a Blanc de Blancs cuvée to the UK market through Cellar Trends.

Made from 100% Chardonnay by Champagne Cattier, mainly from the Montagne de Reims area, it comes in the brand's trademark metallic coated bottle.

With a rich aroma and depth of flavour, especially for a Blanc de Blancs, the fizz shows notes of red apple, bread dough, pears and lemon peel and in the mouth has zingy acidity and a slightly chalky finish. A firm favourite with the in-crowd, including rapper Jay-Z, the Champagne has a bling price tag to match of £400...

Sardinian producer Piero Mancini of Cantina della Vigne is introducing three new wines to the UK, a Cannonau 2006 DOC, a Saccaia 2007IGT and a Vermentino DOCG Cuccaione.
The Cannonau and the Saccaia, which is made of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cannonau, have rsps of just under £15. The Saccaia had a light nose of violets, blueberries, raspberries and cherries. In the mouth, it had a subtle spicey note of clove and nutmeg and a refreshingly sweet and sour finish. The Vermentino, at £13.32, had an elegant structure and lovely aromatic character. www.mondialwine.co.uk

Diageo is trialling a new mid-strength version of Guinness in Scotland as part of its responsible drinking initiative.
The 2.8% abv stout, compared to the usual 4.1% Guinness, is going on sale in 13 bars and hotels in Fife and Edinburgh...

From Scotland comes a new premium gin, Caorunn (pronounced "ka-roon"). The gin is distilled in Scotland using Celtic botanicals such as Rowan berry (which it is named after), heather, bog myrtle and dandelion as well as more traditional gin botanicals. The 41.8% abv spirit was a real hit, with a gorgeously floral nose of cut dried flowers (the heather really comes through) and citrus. In the mouth it had a smooth, velvety texture. Very moreish. A 70cl bottle is £21.99, from International Beverage Holdings or www.caorunngin.com...

Taylor Shroff is launching a selection of British wines to the on-trade made to complement food with an Asian kick. There are five fruit infused wines; red, white, ginger, cherry and apricot that are fortified at up to 17%.
"Sold in 60ml or 100ml pourings over ice, they offer the restaurant a 250-300% return and with a five week shelf-life there is no spoilage at all," says David Carr-Taylor, chairman of Taylor Shroff.

At 17%, they are big, aromatic wines and on the plus side liven up the palate and open up the spices in the dish. Whether we could drink more than half a glass without wanting to dance on the tables is debatable! The rsp per bottle is £17.99, from www.carr-taylor.co.uk

• Sommeliers