Perucchi Bianco Vermouth 1L

Perucchi holds the distinction of producing the first vermouth ever made in Spain, a recipe Augustus Perucchi developed in the mid-nineteenth century at the family winery in Catalonia. The company has since become an official supplier to Spain's Royal Household, and production still follows the same sequence of maceration, crushing, blending, pressing, and filtering that Augustus established, finishing with a rest in centuries-old casks.

The Bianco draws on a selection of wines and mistelas from Alt Empordà, Valencia, and La Mancha, sweetened and aromatized with more than twenty natural botanicals, herbs, fruits, and roots according to the original 1876 formula. No preservatives or dyes are used. It carries a moderate sweetness, measured at seven degrees Baumé, and finishes at fifteen percent alcohol, noticeably softer and rounder than the house's drier expressions.

Straw-yellow with greenish tones, it has a delicate, floral aroma drawn from the interplay of its many botanicals. The palate is balanced and slightly sweet, soft and refreshing rather than heavy, with a long, intense aftertaste that lingers pleasantly. Serve it over ice with lemon and an olive.