•Campari-owned Russell’s Reserve has released the fourth whiskey in its Single Rickhouse Collection. This year’s whiskey, Camp Nelson E, is blended from barrels found on the fifth floor of the rickhouse and bottled at a barrel proof of 64% abv. According to the company, this is the highest-proof whiskey bottled under the Russell’s Reserve label to date. Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson E is now available in limited quantities across the U.S., carrying a suggested retail price of $300 a 750-ml. Russell’s Reserve had U.S. volume of 83,000 cases last year, according to Impact Databank.

•French Bloom, the luxury non-alcohol sparkler in which Moët Hennessy holds a 30% stake, has entered into a new distribution agreement with Southern Glazer’s across 22 markets in the U.S. The brand, founded by Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger and model Constance Jablonski, makes wine from grapes grown in the Coteaux Océanique in Limoux before dealcoholization. French Bloom’s portfolio will transition to Southern Glazer’s this month. French Bloom includes white and rosé sparklers that sell from $40 to upwards of $100 a bottle.

•California has legalized direct-to-consumer shipping for craft spirits, opening up the U.S.’s largest market to distilleries across the nation. The new law, AB 1246, extends in-state distillers’ ability to ship directly to consumers for a year, while opening the state up to out-of-state operators who apply for a license through at least 2026. The law takes effect on January 1, 2026 and will also increase the daily per-person sales limit for craft distilleries from 2.25 liters to 4.5 liters. “This is a major step forward for California craft distillers,” said Alex Villicana, president of the California Distillers Association.

•Sam Sebastiani, a winemaker who helped build a California winemaking dynasty until a falling-out with his family led him to strike out on his own, died Oct. 9 at his home in Sonoma. He was 84. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight years ago. Born Nov. 19, 1940, Sebastiani was the grandson of Samuele Sebastiani, an Italian immigrant who in 1904 founded Sonoma’s Sebastiani Vineyards, which at one time was among the largest wineries in the United States. Wine Spectator has more on Sebastiani’s life and career.