Distiloire ‘Douce Folie’ Vermouth Rouge
Location: France, Loire
Winemaker: Benoît Chaigneau
Winemaking: The wines of Benoît Landron (Domaine Landron Chartier), who lovingly cultivates his vines on the hillsides overlooking the Loire near Ancenis (Loire-Atlantique). Harvested by hand, the grapes are vinified with native yeasts and minimal intervention from the winemaker. After several months of aging in vats, the wines are ready to embrace a Douce Folie! “Organic cultivation, manual harvesting and native yeasts for Vermouth Douce Folie wines” The transformation begins with the addition of alcohol and sugar, around fifteen plants and spices are macerated to obtain the characteristic aromas of Vermouth: Gentian, Absinthe, Rosemary, Roman Chamomile, Madagascar Pepper, Orange or Vanilla.
From the Producer: Made with wines from Loire Valley winegrowers and a selection of organic plants and spices. Douce Folie Vermouths are aperitif wines with a subtle sweet/bitter balance. “A meeting of artisan wines with a selection of organic plants and spices” built around an original blend of Muscadet and Cabernet Franc for the RED, the Douce Folie Vermouths are enriched with plant aromas through artisanal maceration.
From the Importer MFW Wine Co: Founded in 2017 in the city of Nantes in the western Loire Valley, Distiloire is a craft distillery that produces a range of organic spirits and vermouths. Benoît Chaigneau created the distillery after working as a winemaker in several regions of the Loire, and his experience with wine informs the style of the spirits today, seeking precision, complexity, and finesse. Everything is produced in small batches, combining local, organic and biodynamic plants and grains from the Loire with unique spices from around the world. Respecting tradition, Distiloire uses a nearly 100-year-old, wood-fired, double pass Charentais copper still for slow and controlled distillations, allowing the still to bring a unique style and texture to the spirits. Gin "1924" and Pastis "Meskad" are made with organic botanicals grown around the distillery using classic formulations that are a throwback to the golden age of cocktail culture of the early 1900s. Always in touch with the world of wine, Benoît uses naturally-produced wines from the Loire for the bases of his white and red Vermouth "Douce Folie". Hand-harvested, naturally fermented Muscadet and Cabernet Franc with no sulfites added macerate with about fifteen botanicals to give the vermouths distinctive aromatics and a very vinous style. Entirely handmade, from the selection of botanicals to the labeling of their bottles, the artisanal spirits and vermouths of Distiloire reflect the terroir of the Loire in a surprisingly new way.