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Calamandrana

Red · Artisan · Medium-sweet

La Canellese Vermouth di Torino Rosso

La Canellese

Calamandrana , Italia

Re-evaluation pending

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Overall impression

Vermutpedia is re-evaluating the Italian catalogue; the Vermutpedia Score for this entry remains pending until the new tasting round is complete. La Canellese Vermouth di Torino Rosso is a great classic of Piedmontese tradition, Vermouth IGP made in Calamandrana (Asti) since 1957 by a house founded in 1890 as a cooperage and converted into a vermouth distillery by the Sconfienza family. According to lacanellese.it and the official technical sheet, the base is Piemonte Cortese DOC wine with sugar, spirit, caramel and thirty selected botanicals where Roman wormwood, bitter orange and nutmeg stand out. Cold extraction, artisan hammer mill, ten days clarification: a slow method that preserves perfume and extract richness in every bottle. Historic Consorzio Vermouth di Torino producer, perfect interpreter of renewed interest in vermouths built solely on Cortese DOC Piemonte. Sixteen percent alcohol, 75 cl. For Vermutpedia it is La Canellese's reference Torinese rosso: garnet, spiced and balanced, verifiable on the official portfolio.

Nose and palate

The official sheet describes dark red colour, delicate aroma with orange, gentian and nutmeg nuances, and flavour with balanced, soft aftertaste thanks to careful selection of medicinal spices, with pleasantly orangey notes. Aligned references cite vivid garnet, spiced bouquet of quinine, pomegranate, rose compote, clove, turmeric and black pepper; broad palate balancing sweetness, spice and acidity, notes of wormwood, cherry and marjoram. On the nose, bitter orange, gentian, nutmeg and Roman wormwood in layers; on the palate, semisweet sweetness, warm spices, elegant alpine botanical bitterness, long finish with orange persistence. Soft, balanced texture, sixteen percent alcohol, less aggressive than industrial vermouths thanks to Cortese and cold extraction. Compared with the house Bianco, Rosso is more spiced, deeper and more versatile in Negroni.

How to serve it

La Canellese Rosso works as iced aperitif, in Negroni or alongside Piedmontese meats, in the traditional use of Torinese rosso style. At 6–8 °C in a small glass or wide tumbler with ice and orange twist, thirty botanicals and Cortese express in balance. In Negroni, Americano or Manhattan it is a classic base bringing spice, bitter orange and wormwood bitterness without dominating gin or bitter. Also with tonic on the terrace or as a light digestif after Piedmontese lunch. Pair with charcuterie, soft red meats, semi-aged cheeses and Monferrato appetisers. Widely used by bartenders aligned with the house for the spiced lift it brings to cocktails. For Vermutpedia it is vermouth for bar and contemplation: historic, artisan and versatile in Torinese tradition.

Production context

La Canellese makes Vermouth di Torino IGP Rosso in Calamandrana (AT) with Cortese DOC Piemonte, thirty botanicals—Roman wormwood, bitter orange, nutmeg, liquorice, elecampane, pepper—and cold-extraction method in hammer mill, per lacanellese.it. History from Rosa Bertello and the perfected home recipe; Alfredo Sconfienza obtained licence in 1947; liqueur and sparkling factory in 1957. Oreste Sconfienza and his children maintain top-quality raw materials, meticulous processing and slow production. Sixteen percent alcohol, 75 cl. Range includes Bianco, Extradry Superiore and Chinato. Founder of the Consorzio Vermouth di Torino. For Vermutpedia it represents historic Piedmontese vermouth di torino rosso: Cortese, thirty botanicals, artisan cold extraction and verifiable origin at lacanellese.it/portfolio/vermut-rosso/.

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