This authentic Extra Dry Vermouth di Torino is produced according to the original recipe of the Chazalettes family, who in 1860 moved from Savoy to Turin and started the production of its Vermouths and spirits in 1876. It is based heavily on the original 1876 recipe and the modern reincarnation is made under the eye of Giovanni Chazelettes, the grandson of Chazalettes’ founder. Francesca Bava (who is spearheading the brand’s revival) says the Vermouth Extra Dry was central to the family’s decision to restart production, as the recipe is “completely different to all other Vermouths on the market”.
Using a high-quality Cortese base the wine includes 20 different herb and spice extracts, including Piemonte alpine Artemisia Absintium, lemon balm, bergamot, juniper, cardamom, Winter Savory and bitter orange. Each botanical is individually prepared, with the maceration time ranging from a few days up to many weeks.
At a lean 30 grams/litre of sugar (less than Noilly Prat and Dolin for example), Bava describes the Vermouth as tasting “like a super aromatised wine… We used a really good wine for the base, so you can almost treat it like a wine.” It opens with citrus peel freshness, which is beautifully balanced with the roundness of the Piedmontese alpine herbs, accompanied by hints of juniper and other spices. Your Martini NEEDS this.