Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth 1L

Antonio Benedetto Carpano is credited with inventing sweet vermouth itself, first blending the recipe in his Turin wine shop in 1786. The formula stayed a closely held secret for generations, and in 2001, Count Niccolò Branca of Fratelli Branca Distillerie, which had acquired the Carpano company, uncovered old documents believed to hold one of the original recipes, prompting the release of Antica Formula in its current form. Today only a handful of people know the full recipe, a tradition of secrecy that has followed the brand since its founding.

Antica Formula starts with white wines from Romagna, Puglia, and Sicily, processed within a day of harvest to preserve freshness before infusion begins. More than a hundred botanicals go into the blend, drawn out through a combination of hot infusion and cold extraction that can stretch across months, followed by a further refining period so the flavors fully integrate. Notable ingredients include whole vanilla beans from Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, and Tahiti, Iranian saffron, and Alpine wormwood harvested in Piedmont, with caramelized sugar added for color and depth.

The result pours a deep amber-brown, with a nose built around vanilla, dried fruit, and warm spice. On the palate, expect layers of fig, dried cherry, and bitter orange, rounded by cocoa and toasted almond, finishing long and warming with a lingering hint of clove.