From: Piedmont, Italy
The original 19th-century recipe for the Contratto Vermouth Bianco is based on a unique combination of white wine, Italian brandy, and a delicate infusion of more than 50 premium natural herbs, spices, roots, and seeds. The traditional slow, cold maceration process of extraction results in a sophisticated, well-balanced aperitif with a distinctive bouquet and flavor. This Vermouth is delicious served chilled on its own with a twist of lemon, but is also the perfect ingredient in classic and contemporary mixology, turning any cocktail into something special.
Ingredients: White wine, sugar, alcohol, water, herbal extracts
Aromas: 28 of 50 major aromas (the other 22 aromas are secret): Hawthorn flower/leaves, coriander seeds, marjoram leaves, bay laurel leaves, chamomile flower, yellow sweet clover, aloe juice, cinnamon, mint leaves, ginger roots, cardamom seeds, nutmeg, bitter orange peel, gentian roots, nettle, sweet orange peel, carob tree pods, pimento seeds, felon herb, rhubarb roots, hibiscus flower, sage, bark of China, lemon peel, bergamot orange peel, licorices roots, sandalwood, etc.
Production Method: Fine crushing of the botanicals with a hammer mill. Cold extraction using a hydroalcoholic solution that irrigates the botanical powders for about 20 days, to be sure to extract all the aromatic substances. The extract is then mixed with wine, alcohol, and sugar. It is then refrigerated and filtered to remove all solid residues. It is then aged in steel tanks for about 40 days.
Tasting Notes: "The Vermouth Bianco made from a 19th-century recipe is the most elegant of the Contratto Vermouths. It offers an appealing spice and herbal nose, including scents of lemon citrus, dried flowers, and fennel and a highly complex flavor profile including notes of lemon, tangerine, butterscotch, honey, and numerous herbal and spice elements. Excellent depth, too, finishing off dry. Made from a white wine base and Italian brandy with an infusion of 50 aromatics, including bark of China. RS 190 g/L 18% alc." –International Wine Review, 93 points
