Dolin Dry Vermouth

A historic vermouth brand, Dolin has been made to the same recipe in the Alpine hills around Chambery since 1821, and was awarded the only Appellation d'Origine for vermouth in 1932. The Chambery style flourished in the 19th and early 20th century, but Dolin is now the last remaining producer of Vermouth de Chambery.

Dolin dry vermouth is made from a unique blend of 15 botanicals and spices that macerate in a specific white wine, Ugni Blanc, like the other Dolin vermouths. Absinthe, brooklime, rose and orange bark are the best-known ones, but you can also taste verbena or yellow genepi. Slightly sweet, this dry vermouth is particularly appreciated by bartenders for its subtlety and elegance. You can of course also enjoy this Dolin dry vermouth as an aperitif, neat or on the rocks.

Slightly sweet, with a subtle golden tint, this dry vermouth has a generous and rich nose with hints of citrus bark underscored by the freshness of menthol and balsamic notes. Almond and stone fragrances dominate the slightly bitter citrus base and bring balance to our lively and fine dry Vermouth de Chambery.

Nolan - Text from the Spotlight on the Lower-Strength Spirits of France blog

Vermouth is having a glorious revival around the world, after decades of neglect. You may remember stealing a swig of Vermouth from your nans liquor cabinet and finding it utterly repellent. This is because the bottle had probably been sat open for years and occasionally brought out on a special occasion and drowned in lemonade. The vermouth was probably so oxidised that it needed the lemonade to mask how bad it had become!

Vermouth’s revival has brought not only renewed interest, but also renewed understanding to the category. People now realise that Vermouth should be kept in the fridge and consumed within a few months of opening.

Historically there was a huge difference between the Italian and French style vermouths. Though both are traditionally made using white wine bases, French vermouths tended to be drier, paler, and more subtle than the typically more complex and powerful Italian versions. These Italian Vermouths were described as “Rosso” and were, and still are, flavoured and coloured with caramel. Early cocktail books would call for French style or Italian style depending on the drink instead of using words such as dry or sweet. In modern times, this distinction has become a little muddied, with Vermouth houses now making a whole range of styles, from bone dry, to rose, to sweet.

Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry has been a staple of bars since is its inception in 1820. Chambéry itself is the largest in city in the alpine Savoie department of Eastern France. The city was once a part of the Duchy of Savoy which stretched across the alps to Turin which is now of course, a part of Italy. Turin is where vermouth is said to originate.

The base wine Dolin use is produced from a grape called Ugni Blanc, one of the main grapes used in Cognac. Ugni Blanc provides an almost neutral flavour but with a refreshing acidity. This neutral wine is then blended with a spirit that has been macerated with up to 54 botanicals including wormwood as a bittering agent, along with herbs, fruits, and spices. Flowers such as like chamomile and rose petals are also used.

The dry vermouth is the product that Dolin are famous for, with a blend of 15 botanicals in this edition. Though labelled as dry, it still has a very slight sweetness to it, with a subtle golden tint. A generous and rich nose with hints of citrus bark underscored by the freshness of menthol and balsamic notes in the background. Almond and stone fruit fragrances dominate the slightly bitter citrus base and bring balance to this lively and fine dry Vermouth.

I find Dolin dry to be ever so slightly oily on the palate, a sensation which I find works fantastically as a constituent to a Martini, which lets face it, is the ultimate pre-dinner aperitif cocktail. Personally, I would go for 60ml London Dry Gin, something juniper and citrus heavy, 15-20ml Dolin Dry, stirred down and served with a lemon zest. I also find Dolin dry delicious when served simply, in a well iced wine glass with a lemon slice and a sprig of tarragon.