Vermouth Martínez Lacuesta Reserva

Martínez Lacuesta is a Rioja winery in the city of Haro, in the Rioja Alta, and has made vermouth there since 1937, when José Martínez Lacuesta bought the formula from José Jové Arnabat of Villafranca del Penedés during the Spanish Civil War. The Reserva is the aged expression in the range. Spanish vermouth is made by macerating a base wine with wormwood and a range of botanicals, here a mountain herb character drawn from the herbs and roots of the recipe, then sweetening and colouring the wine with caramelised must. The Reserva designation means an extended period of ageing in oak, where slow oxygen exchange through the wood rounds the wine and develops the roasted, toasted and coffee notes that set it apart from the standard bottling, while the bitter botanicals keep the balance. The nose is aromatic, with roasted mountain herbs, oak and coffee to the fore. The palate is bitter and structured, with hints of ripe fruit and spice carried by the wood ageing. Serve over ice with a slice of orange as an aperitif, or neat at cool cellar temperature as a digestif. The toasted, coffee depth also makes it a partner for dark chocolate.