Valdespino Vermouth N.V.

Bright mahogany colour with coppery tones. The nose displays intense spicy aromas with hints of hazelnut, orange peel and wild herbs. There is a wonderful bittersweet tension on the palate, coupled with silky texture and vivid concentration. Serve in a tumbler glass, with ice and a slice of grapefruit or orange.

Valdespino have produced aperitif wines since the late 19th century. Their original recipes, known as ‘Tonics for the Sick’, were a blend of sherries macerated with botanicals, fruit and bitter root extracts. In the late 1990s, the Estévez family discovered casks containing these aperitifs and continued to produce small batches for their private collection. The team have since recovered old recipes and revived the original Art Deco labels. They are the only house to produce a vermouth based on Very Old Oloroso Wines from the bodega’s founding soleras, which provide excellent richness and complexity. The Vermouth is a blend of Very Old Oloroso from the Don Gonzalo solera (aged for an average of 20 years) and Moscatel, which contributes a refreshing citrus lift. The Oloroso sherry and Moscatel underwent a hydroalcoholic maceration with bitter extracts of mugwort, coriander, elderberry and gentian, as well as chamomile, cloves, cinnamon, dried oranges and juniper berries. The final blend was then aged in old Oloroso barrels prior to bottling for additional complexity.