Review: La Quintinye Vermouth Royal – Complete Lineup
This line of French artisanal vermouths is newly available in the United States. Fans of the aromatic wine, be it straight up or in cocktails, should definitely pick up a bottle or two or three.
This is a modern style of vermouth, complex and a bit avant garde in its production. La Quintinye is made with 18 to 28 aromatics (I’m not going to list them all here, check out their website for details) depending on the variety, plus a blend of white wines (yes, white is used for all three versions). Uniquely fortifying the mix is Pineau des Charentes (color varying depending on the variety), a fortified “wine” that blends unfermented grape juice with Cognac, which is then aged in oak barrels.
We tried all three varieties and present our reviews for your consideration.
La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Extra Dry – Vibrant yellow, with a nose of bittersweet herbs, some honey, various citrus peels, and a little Band-Aid note on the back. The body is sharp and, again, bittersweet, chewy with loads of green herbs and citrus-focused, plus a lively woody/brambly note on the finish that pairs well with a hint of crisp white wine and that distinct Pineau character. Has trouble holding its own with gin, but can overpower vodka if you’re not careful with it. 17% abv. B+
La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Blanc – Blanc or bianco vermouth is essentially intended to be “sweet” (aka rouge) vermouth, but without the color. La Quintinye’s rendition is quite sweet (but not too much) and about the same shade of gold as the Extra Dry, offering notes of fresh sugared grapefruit, lemonade, peaches, and hints of cinnamon. Some sage notes emerge on the nose, but this is a lush and summery experience that really strikes all the right chords. Use in cocktails as a substitute for Lillet, St. Germain, or in lieu of dry vermouth — but I like it best on its own. 16% abv. A
La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Rouge – The classic sweet vermouth. Aromatic on the nose with florals, citrus peels, and some woody, slightly bitter notes evident. On the tongue, sweetness hits first — plums, raisins, and brown sugar then a touch of bitter root, tinged with notes of dark chocolate and vanilla. This is the most complex of the trio and probably my favorite of the bunch, likely because it is killer when used as a mixer with bourbon. An easy go-to for a sweet vermouth, any day. 16.5% abv. A
each $24 / laquintinyevermouthroyal.com
La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Rouge
$24
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Woow this sounds amazing, would be fabulous if in Argentina we can get this vermouth, but with the restrictions at imports is not possible by the moment.
http://www.mendozaprivatewinetour.com
Just stumbled on this – definitely different than the di Torino’s I am more used to – seems more overtly spicy/jammy – but still in the infancy of the whole vermouth thing.
Just curious re how you like to use in bourbon – and which bourbons pair well with this particular vermouth.