Chazalettes Rosso

ITALY (ABV 16.5%) 750ml

This gorgeous, red wine based Vermouth di Torino has been recreated according to the authentic recipe of Clemente Chazalettes, dating back to 1876. While most rossos are typically made with a base of white wine, before colourings such as caramel are added, the Chazalettes Vermouth Rosso uses the Bava family’s own Barbera as the base wine, with a touch of Nebbiolo. “You get a very different reaction between the red wine and the extracts,” says Roberto Bava, “The tannins [in the wine] react to the spices and bitterness and evolve in a different way over time.” The resulting Vermouth has a richer colour and a more solid chewiness to the flavour than modern examples. Alongside Piemonte wormwood, the resurrected 1876 recipe takes in Piedmontese herbs, marjoram and musk mallow alongside more far-flung botanicals in sandalwood, mace, galangal, clary sage, cinchona bark and coriander. Each botanical is individually prepared, with the maceration time ranging from a few days up to many weeks.