The vermouth encyclopedia

Vermutpedia

Rojo

Alba

Red · Medium-sweet

D.co Ulrich Vermouth Umberto Rosso Superiore

Distilleria Marolo

Alba , Italia

Re-evaluation pending

How we calculate the Vermutpedia Score →

Overall impression

Vermutpedia is re-evaluating the Italian catalogue; the Vermutpedia Score for this entry remains pending until the new tasting round is complete. Umberto Rosso Superiore is the pinnacle of the Domenico Ulrich range from Distilleria Marolo in Alba (Piedmont), dedicated to King Umberto I and made as resurrection of the founding Turinese botanist's recipes (1854). According to marolo.com, built from 100% Cortese wine from Piedmont and Piedmontese artemisia; dark amber colour; fresh, spiced, enveloping and balsamic taste with notes of cinchona and hyssop. Botanics age approximately six months in wood after extraction — a process distinguishing the Superiore line. Lorenzo Marolo relaunched the collection in 2016 following original recipes with modern techniques; rosso colouring with burnt sugar, no caramel, per house philosophy. 18% vol., 750 ml; Vermouth di Torino Superiore (≥50% Piedmontese wine and herbs). For Vermutpedia, it represents Piedmontese meditation rosso superiore: sibling of Bianco Superiore Umberto and top step of Ulrich above standard Rosso.

Nose and palate

Marolo's official sheet describes dark amber colour. On the nose, cinchona and hyssop emerge — classic Torinese vermouth botanics — alongside spices and balsamic notes from woody ageing; Cortese brings vinous freshness beneath spiced layers. On the palate it is enveloping, fresh and balsamic: ample body, noble bitterness of artemisia and cinchona, integrated semisweet sweetness with long finish. Six months in wood for tinctures add depth, wood and complexity that standard Ulrich Rosso does not reach. Compared with commercial red vermouths, Umberto Rosso Superiore is tasting and after-dinner vermouth: 18% vol., dense texture and spiced-balsamic profile. Notes of cinnamon, spices and Piedmontese herbs within the regulatory framework. A red for palates seeking Torino superiore with Ulrich historic heritage and documented wood maturation care by Marolo.

How to serve it

Marolo conceives Umberto Rosso Superiore for solo consumption, with ice and orange, or in author cocktails: Manhattan, Negroni or Boulevardier when a superiore rosso with body and noble bitterness is sought. Serve cold, between 6 and 8 °C, in a low glass or wide tumbler; orange enhances citrus and balances semisweet sweetness. Also in a cocktail glass without ice to appreciate balsamic layers and cinchona and hyssop persistence. Not a quick-pour tap vermouth: the house positions it as premium expression of the Umberto range, parallel to Bianco Superiore. Pairs with cured cheeses, dark chocolate, dried fruit and desserts not excessively sweet. On an Italian vermouth list, Umberto brings the narrative of botanist Domenico Ulrich and the Consorzio Vermouth di Torino. For Vermutpedia, it fits paced tasting or serious cocktails where vermouth is protagonist, not complement.

Production context

Distilleria Marolo makes Umberto Rosso Superiore in Alba (Piedmont): 100% Cortese wine; 100% Piedmontese artemisia and botanics; tinctures aged ~6 months in wood after extraction; colouring with burnt sugar without caramel per Ulrich-Marolo philosophy. 18% vol.; 750 ml format. Meets Vermouth di Torino Superiore. D.co Ulrich range: Rosso, Rosso Superiore Umberto, Bianco, Bianco Superiore Umberto, Extra Dry. Marolo revived in 2016 the recipes of Domenico Ulrich (1854), awarded in 1885. Member of the Consorzio Vermouth di Torino. For Vermutpedia, Umberto Rosso Superiore synthesises Piedmontese rosso superiore vermouth: Cortese, cinchona, hyssop, six months of wood and Ulrich heritage documented at marolo.com/en/products/ulrich/vermouth-rosso-superiore.html.

Discover more

More from Distilleria Marolo

View all (5) →

More from Alba

Same type and style — Red · Medium-sweet

Country guide

The best Italian vermouths

Birthplace of modern vermouth: we are re-evaluating the full Italian catalogue. Until the new scores are published, the table at the top remains empty.

View Italia ranking →