Martini & Rossi Bianco Vermouth 750ml
Martini & Rossi traces its roots to 1863, when Alessandro Martini and master herbalist Luigi Rossi joined forces in Pessione, near Turin, to refine vermouth recipes that Rossi's family had developed over generations. The company introduced its Bianco style in 1910, originally nicknamed "Bianchissimo" for its pale color, and it quickly became a fixture of Italian aperitivo culture. Now part of Bacardi Limited, Martini & Rossi still produces its vermouths at the historic Pessione estate, drawing on more than a century and a half of herbal expertise.
Bianco is built on a base of Trebbiano white wine, the same blend used for the company's Rosso, filtered through charcoal before infusion. The wine is steeped with a proprietary mix of botanicals sourced largely from the Italian Alps, with a recipe leaning on floral and citrus notes rather than the bittering herbs found in darker styles. It's then fortified with grape spirit and sweetened with beet sugar, landing at a lighter, more delicate profile than its red counterpart.
Pale gold in the glass, Bianco opens with white floral aromas and sweet vanilla, layered with lemon and orange peel and a faint whisper of bay leaf and tobacco. The palate turns riper on the mid-palate, with baked apple, ginger, and cinnamon rounding out a gentle herbal bitterness before a honeyed, lightly spiced finish.