Named in honour of Jean-Baptiste de la Quintinye, botanist and gardener to Louis XIV, this La Quintinye range of vermouth is big on botanicals. For their Extra Dry expression, they use 27 different herbs and spices, as well as a selection of white wines and Pineau des Charentes Blanc, to create a big-bodied vermouth. Very bold and striking, this will surely stand out in cocktails with plenty of complexity.
Chopped basil and sage, with a sprig of rosemary along the way. Hints of fig and bright citrus. A little liquorice appear after a minute.
Opens with lemon peels and green grape, flowing swiftly into herbal wafts of wormwood, sage and rosemary.
Enjoyably bitter and drying with fresh herbs.
A while ago, I reviewed the La Quintinye red vermouth, with the comment that its appeal was more about the incredibly rich fruit base than the aromatics. The same is true for this dry vermouth. It doesn't have loads of front-end bitterness or herbal complexity, things I usually like, but the foundation is so interesting and delicious, it doesn't matter. A delicious aperitif and fantastic in a martini/gibson, which frankly, I wasn't expecting. I think La Quintinye vermouths are unique in their class, so good but so different. I'm a huge fan.
Very dry, very smooth, complex and aromatic with a lovely touch of genepì
