From France comes La Quintinye Vermouth Royal, a new range of vermouth inspired by the gardens of Versailles and reflects the classic elegance of the Palace.
The range was created by master-blender and distiller, Jean-Sébastien Robicquet of G’Vine gin as a tribute to Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinye who created the Palais de Versailles kitchen gardens and was a botanist for King Louis XIV.
The portrait of Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinye with the gardens in the background graces each bottle as well as an intricate Fleur de Lys design symbolising royalty along with botanical drawings in a 16th century style.
La Quintinye Vermouth Royal is made using Pineau des Charentes, a regional speciality from the Chartentes region on the west coast of France. The wine is crafted from fermented grape juice and Cognac and comes in both white and red varietals.
The range of La Quintinye Vermouth comes in three expressions, Rouge, Blanc and Extra-Dry. All have a base of botanicals which includes artemisia, angelica, cardamom, cinchona, citrus aurantium and orris roots.
La Quintinye Vermouth Blanc is made using Pineau des Charentes Blanc along with 18 botanicals. The aromas are of fresh citrus with yellow fruit flavours and notes of wooded spice. La Quintinye Vermouth Rouge is made from Pineau des Charentes Rouge which gives it a rich amber hue. 28 botanicals impart lingering aromas of sweet vanilla, spice notes and a long finish. La Quintinye Vermouth Extra-Dry is crafted using Pineau des Charentes Blanc along with 27 botanicals that give it an extra dry flavour profile along with a delicate bouquet with citrus and spice.
La Quintinye Vermouth Royal in Cocktails
A good vermouth such as La Quintinye Vermouth Royal makes an ideal aperitif and is best enjoyed chilled, neat or on ice to savour the full flavour profile.
In cocktails and mixed drinks, La Quintinye Vermouth Extra Dry goes well in a classic dry martini while La Quintinye Vermouth Blanc makes a fine Vesper Martini. La Quintinye Vermouth Rouge can be enjoyed with a little tonic and orange twist, in a Negroni with the classic 1:1:1 ratio and in a Martinez.
La Quintinye Vermouth Royal is available in both 750ml as well as the convenient 375ml size. Like with all vermouth, once opened, it is best kept in the fridge and consumed within a short period.
This article was originally published on May 1, 2015 on our sister website Gourmantic.
