Vermouth Valdespino

Valdespino is a Jerez house, officially founded in 1875, and its vermouth sits within a new aperitif range alongside a quina. What sets it apart is the base, drawn from the winery's old oloroso and muscatel soleras rather than a neutral wine. Oloroso is aged oxidatively without a flor veil, so the base already carries deep, nutty acetaldehyde character and a walnut edge from years of contact with air through the solera system, while the muscatel contributes a raisined sweetness. Onto this the house macerates herbs and spices, with wormwood and gentian setting the bitterness. The colour is amber to mahogany. The nose is spicy and intense, led clearly by the oloroso. The palate is citrusy and spiced, with clove and gentian, raisin and dried apricot, rounded by an elegant bitterness on the finish. Serve chilled over ice with an orange twist, or neat in a copita to read the sherry base.