Drinks consultant Jack Sotti has partnered with Alex Watson, actress sister Emma Watson and winemaker father Chris Watson to launch the Chablis-inspired gin, Renais, this summer.
The gin is distilled with upcycled French pressed wine grape skins and lees and botanicals which include linden flowers, cubeb berries and acacia honey.
The spirit then sees the addition of Chablis wine and 'Kimmeridgian stone distillate', which Sotti made from "pulverising and distilling" Chablis rocks, to impart the minerality the region's terroir is famed for.
Alex Watson, who has worked in the drinks industry for ten years, and Harry Potter actress Emma, were inspired by childhood trips to their family’s vineyard, Domaine Watson in Chablis, which their father has operated for more than 30 years.
He said: “I wanted to do something that no-one had ever done: to capture the essence of a specific terroir, the uniqueness of Chablis, by drawing on the traditions, techniques and ingredients from the land, and embodying those characteristics in a gin.
“Renais is our family’s love letter to Chablis, taking inspiration from the heritage of the region but combining it with an innovative and forward-thinking, yet sustainable approach to spirit making.”
Emma Watson added: “I’m particularly proud of upcycling grapes from vineyards (including my dad’s) to reduce waste and create something new, being one of the only gins on the market using mushroom packaging, and our carbon neutral product status.”
Renais will launch as a limited release in May with only 3,000-4,000 bottles available, before rolling out in June. Priced at £45 for 70cl (40% abv) it is available from www.renais.co.uk.