Lacuesta Dry Vermut

Martinez Lacuesta has been making vermouth in Haro, in the heart of Rioja, since 1937, when the family pioneered what would become known as "vermouth hour" in Spain. Their approach centers on what the family calls the conzia, a proprietary extract of around twenty botanicals, herbs, and aromatic plants cold-macerated in white wine. That extract forms the soul of each expression in the range. In 2005, Lacuesta became the first producer to release a barrel-aged vermouth, bringing a winemaker's sensibility to a category that had long been overlooked. The Extra Seco (Extra Dry) is the sharpest and most austere of the lineup, amber in color with notes recalling fino sherry. The nose offers vanilla, baked apple, and nutmeg with an appealing oxidative quality. On the palate it opens tart and focused, with warm spice running through the mid-palate, licorice, cinnamon, and ginger giving way to a bracing bitterness from wormwood on the finish. A hint of salinity keeps the mouth watering and the finish crisp and clean.