Mallard Point launches Pinot Noir gin
England-based distillery and winery Mallard Point has released a limited edition Pinot Noir gin as a continuation of its sustainable portfolio.
Mallard Point’s Pinot Noir gin is steeped on the winery’s surplus pressed grapes from this year’s vintage. It offers rich and smooth notes of cherry and raspberry from the grapes, with a light, lingering floral aroma that boasts an intense spice finish. It is described as smooth enough to sip over ice, but is also recommended paired with tonic, or used in a Negroni. Mallard Point’s single estate winery and distillery is based on a farm in Rutland in the East Midlands, where sustainability is a key focus of the site. All of the gins and wines are made in small batches with minimal intervention, and all production is kept in-house to reduce the site’s carbon footprint. All of the distillery’s spirits are blended with natural mineral water drawn from the farm’s aquifer that runs below the distillery, and after harvest the spent grape skins are fed to the cattle. The 42% ABV gin is bottled in the brand’s signature 700ml aluminium vessels that were designed to ‘capture the spirit’ of milk bottles that were delivered by and returned to the milkman when the producers were children. To take the inspiration further, each bottled product purchased from Mallard Point comes with free return packaging so the empty vessels can be easily sent back at no cost to the customers. Once returned to Mallard Point, the bottles go through a thorough cleaning and sterilising process before being reused for future orders, as a traditional milk bottle would. Mallard Point’s gin portfolio also includes a London Dry gin, and a pink English Rose gin that is due to launch this summer. Mallard Point Pinot Noir gin is available to purchase from the brand's website for RRP £44 (US$54.91). Mallard Point isn't the first spirits brand to utilise surplus grapes in its production process. The sustainable practice can also be seen in the creation of Hyke Gin, and Chapel Down's Chardonnay Vodka.
