Stoli Group parent company SPI Group has added super-premium Cenote Tequila to its spirits portfolio.

Presented at last week’s TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes, the super-premium tequila will feature on shelf in the first quarter of 2018.

Stoli Group will be responsible for the distribution, sales and marketing of the 100% blue agave brand, which is being produced at the Fabrica de Tequilos Finos distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, under the supervision of Master Distiller Arturo Fuentes. The line will feature Blanco, Reposado and Añejo expressions to begin.

Blanco is allowed to mellow for three weeks before bottling, the Añejo expression is aged in single-use American oak bourbon barrels, while Reposado is aged in French oak casks.

SUPER-PREMIUM POTENTIAL

Cenote Tequila derives its name from the limestone cenotes scattered through Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, which were considered by the Mayans to be ‘windows to the underworlds’, occupied by gods and goddesses.

Stoli Group Global CEO Hugues Pietrini said: “We see great potential for super-premium tequila – a category that has grown considerably within travel retail in recent years, as new and younger consumers have discovered and converted to sipping-grade tequilas.

“We are confident that Cenote Tequila will be an exciting new addition to our portfolio.”