Vermut Les Cousins Donzell 1 Liter 2023

Les Cousins is the project of Marc and Adrià Pérez, cousins raised among the vineyards of Priorat in inland Catalonia, where licorella slate soils and a hot dry summer concentrate the base wine before maceration. The vermouth takes its name from donzell, the Catalan word for wormwood, the botanical that defines its character. Production follows the traditional vermouth method: a wine base is macerated with wormwood and a mix of aromatic herbs, roots and spices, then sweetened and stabilised so the bitter and aromatic compounds carry through. Wormwood supplies the structural bitterness while the wider botanical mix adds breadth across clove, dried herbs and citrus peel. The 2023 pours a deep amber. The nose is bold and savoury, led by wormwood and dried mountain herbs over bitter orange and warm spice. The palate is elegant and slightly bitter, with herbal and spiced length and a persistent, gently bitter finish that stays dry rather than cloying. Serve chilled at 8 to 10C over ice with a slice of orange, or use it as the backbone of a Negroni. It works well as an aperitif alongside cured ham, salted almonds and aged cheese.