L'Élixir de la Dame — Saveurs de la Prairie

Name: L'Élixir de la Dame — Saveurs de la Prairie
Brand: Maison Dâme
Rating: 7.6 (1 reviews)

Maison Dâme

Charente , Francia

7.6 /10

Vermutpedia Score: 7.6/10

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Overall impression

L'Élixir de la Dame — Saveurs de la Prairie is the spring demi-doux vermouth of Maison Dâme, created in 2016 by Romuald Vincent in Saint-Brice, Charente, according to maison-soulat.fr and maisondame.com. Third seasonal «Saveur» of the Elixir range, it revives the vin médicinal of Châtre abbey canons with more than fifteen wild plants hand-gathered in village meadows and heights. Prairie expresses the Charentais spring season: a vegetal bouquet of hawthorn in bloom, valerian and rosehip, macerated in organic Sauvignon Blanc, blended with Charentais Cognac and a touch of local flower honey. Maisondame.com places it between La Forêt's winter dry and Verger's summer doux, with a floral, herbaceous demi-doux profile. For Vermutpedia, Prairie is Charentais spring vermouth: semisweet, meadow, hand-gathered botanicals and French medicinal-wine savoir-faire verifiable in Maison Dâme's official sources and authorised distribution.

Nose and palate

Maison Dâme describes on maisondame.com a round, indulgent attack over mallow and red-fruit notes, carried by herbaceous softness concluding in bitter cherry. The maison-soulat.fr sheet details a floral, spiced nose with buckwheat, carrot and wild-flower notes; on the palate, spring flavours of mallow and red fruit, with bitter-cherry finish. Demi-doux balances moderate sweetness and final bitterness without reaching Verger's summer doux profile. Texture is soft and herbaceous, with Cognac and honey bringing Charentais roundness over Sauvignon acidity. Meadow botanicals—hawthorn, valerian, rosehip—dominate seasonal character. Compared with Sous-Bois (autumn, gingerbread and rancio) or Forêt (winter, fir and menthol), Prairie is more floral, more fruity and more luminous. On the finish, prolonged bitter cherry and wild herbs. For anyone exploring the Elixir range, Prairie is the emotional midpoint: spring in the glass, between the resinous dry of the forest and the fruity generosity of the orchard.

How to serve it

Maison Dâme and maison-soulat.fr recommend Prairie neat, in spritz or in light cooking sauces. Served cold in an aperitif glass or balloon with ice, the floral demi-doux profile works as a spring aperitif without complex cocktail work. In spritz with soda or dry white wine, it gains freshness and extends the terrace session. Also in author cocktails where a semisweet herbal vermouth replaces more industrial appetisers. The house suggests use in original sauces exploiting mallow and red fruit. Keep refrigerated up to six months after opening. Pairs with salads, fresh cheeses, seasonal vegetables and light spring appetisers. Do not combine with very sweet vermouths that mask the bitter cherry of the finish. For Vermutpedia, Prairie is drunk cold, with moderate ice and in seasonal context: it is Charentais spring vermouth, ideal for outdoor aperitifs where Saint-Brice botanicals should shine without excess dilution.

Production context

Maison Dâme was founded in 2016 by Romuald Vincent in the family house in Saint-Brice, near Jarnac, to save Charentais vin médicinal tradition practised at Châtre abbey until the eighteenth century. Manual plant gathering in forests, undergrowth, meadows and orchards by season; more than fifteen species per vermouth, secret recipe of the cellar master according to maisondame.com. Extraction by cold maceration, distillation or infusion; blend with organic wines and Cognac from the region plus local honey. Prairie: spring demi-doux vermouth, organic Sauvignon Blanc, 18% vol., 50 cl according to maison-soulat.fr. Third season of the four-part range (Forêt, Sous-Bois, Prairie, Verger). Artisan production «à l'ancienne» according to medicinal-wine technique. For Vermutpedia, Saveurs de la Prairie synthesises Charentais spring vermouth: hawthorn, valerian, rosehip, demi-doux, Saint-Brice and monastic heritage verifiable at maisondame.com/elixirs/.