News Briefs for April 8, 2024
April 9, 2024•Diageo has released Baileys S’mores, a seasonal spinoff from the Irish cream liqueur brand. The extension is at 17% abv and made with chocolate, graham cracker, and toasted marshmallow flavors. Baileys S’mores is now available across the U.S. for a limited time carrying a suggested price of $25 a 750-ml. Last year, Baileys was at an estimated 1.5 million cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.
•Central Coast, California-based Miller Family Wine Company (MFWC) has signed a new distribution agreement with Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), nationally aligning with the second-largest spirits and wine distributor in the U.S. The alignment will see MFWC’s portfolio—including Butternut, J. Wilkes, Pandemonium, Optik, Ballard Lane, Smashberry, Barrel Burner, Volunteer, Hand on Heart, and Reciprocity—handled by RNDC in 27 states. RNDC’s revenues are projected at $12.2 billion this year, according to Shanken’s Impact Newsletter.
•D’Ussé Cognac has named Agathe Boinot as cellar master. Boinot is the second cellar master in the brand’s history, succeeding Michel Casavecchia. Boinot, according to the brand’s majority owner Bacardi, is the youngest female cellar master working at a major Cognac house. In addition to a background in oenology and working with vodka, whiskey, and gin, Boinot served as Casavecchia’s apprentice for seven years before taking the helm. Last year, D’Ussé was at 640,000 cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.
•Bordeaux’s Domaines Comte de Malet Roquefort has announced “G” by Gaffelière Episode 2, a Chardonnay made from grapes grown at the Domaines’ Saint-Emilion-based Château La Gaffelière. Specifically, the grapes are sourced from a half-hectare parcel with clay and limestone soil. Episode 2 is set for a September release with 800 bottles available globally. In the U.S., Episode 2 has a suggested retail price of $230 a bottle.
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