Lustau Vermut Red Vermouth 750ml

Bodegas Lustau built its reputation over more than a century as one of Jerez's leading Sherry producers, and its Vermut Rojo marks the house's first venture into vermouth. Rather than treat vermouth as a separate category, Lustau approached it as an extension of its Sherry expertise, reviving the old regional tradition of using Sherry, rather than a neutral base wine, as the heart of the blend.

The base is built from eighty percent Amontillado and twenty percent Pedro Ximénez, each aged separately for roughly a decade under the Solera y Criaderas system before being combined. Ten botanicals, including wormwood, gentian, angelica, coriander, sage, and orange peel, are macerated individually and blended into the wine, which is then fortified with a neutral spirit distilled from Airén grapes. The result is sweetened to a moderate degree, balancing the dry, nutty backbone of the Amontillado against the richness of the Pedro Ximénez.

In the glass it shows a warm mahogany hue. The nose offers ripe fruit and citrus over a base of smoked wood, while the palate turns velvety and balanced, closing with a bitter, nutty finish. Serve it chilled over ice with an orange twist, or alongside olives and cured meats.