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Vermutpedia

Rojo

El Morell

Red · Reserve · Extra dry

Yzaguirre Dry Reserva

Yzaguirre

El Morell , España

7.0 /10

Vermutpedia Score: 7.0/10

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Overall impression

Yzaguirre Dry Reserva is the most technical, driest expression of the Tarragona bodega's Reserva line, founded in Reus in 1884. While Rojo Reserva opts for gastronomic semisweet aperitif, Dry Reserva combines twelve months in oak barrel with an extra-dry profile designed for author cocktails and Dry Martini with greater alcoholic body. Made in El Morell with the secret formula of around eighty herbs from the Italian Alpine method the house perfected over more than a century.

Nose and palate

Pale yellow, lighter than the reds in the classic range. The nose shows notes of wood, herbs and spices with a dry, alcoholic entry that the acidity of the base wine balances without becoming aggressive. On the palate it is direct and elegant: oak ageing adds texture and balsamic nuances without the sweetness of Rojo Reserva; the finish is clean, with herbaceous persistence and moderate bitterness confirming its vocation as a vermouth for bar and mixed drinks.

How to serve it

Ideal for a Dry Martini with a more vinous, dry profile than a classic house pour; also in gin-and-lemon mixed drinks or contemporary dry vermouth versions where barrel structure is sought. Best very cold, without ice in a cocktail glass.

Production context

Twelve months' ageing in oak, 18% vol. Classic Yzaguirre rests weeks in steel; the Reserva line — pioneer in Spain — passes through barrel before bottling. Botanical extract is obtained in a double-walled cauldron and prolonged maceration according to the house method. 1-litre format in main catalogue.

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