The vermouth encyclopedia

Vermutpedia

Rojo

Alfaro

Red · Artisan · Medium-sweet

Mon Dieu! Original

Châpeau Wines

Alfaro , España

9.1 /10

Vermutpedia Score: 9.1/10

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Overall impression

Mon Dieu! Original is the vermouth with which Álvaro and Javier Usarralde (Châpeau Wines, Alfaro) consolidated their reputation in the premium Spanish market. The name pays tribute to Professor Denis Dubourdieu, a reference in Bordeaux enology, and embodies Rioja ambition to treat vermouth as author wine: Viura must, barrel ageing and selected botanicals with ancestral winemaking techniques. The house describes it as one of the silkiest and most elegant vermouths on the market; Guía Peñín awards it 91 points.

Nose and palate

Intense aromas of herbs, flowers, roots and spices over an aged Viura base. The entry on the palate is generous, with marked acidity that avoids heaviness; the mid-palate is fresh and deep, and the bitter finish is softened by vanilla from twelve months in French oak. A balance between silkiness and tension that sets it apart from industrial vermouths.

How to serve it

Very cold, neat or on ice; also in Manhattan or Negroni when you want a vermouth with Rioja ageing and acidity. Réserve and Blanco complete the Mon Dieu! range.

Production context

Made in Alfaro (La Rioja) with infused Viura must, 12 months in French oak barrel and a selection of extracts from herbs, flowers, roots, spices and fruits. 15% vol., 75 cl. Châpeau Wines emphasises ancestral winemaking techniques and artisan control in each batch.

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The best Spanish vermouths

More than four hundred Spanish references tasted: the ranking orders the best bottles from each region by Vermutpedia Score, from Reus to the Basque Country.

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