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VERMOUTH DE CHAMBERY
DOLIN & CIE |
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Owner :
Vermouth Dolin S.A.
Products :
Vermouth de Chambery, Dry
Vermouth de Chambery, Blanc
Vermouth de Chambery, Rouge
Chamberyzette, Aperitif à la Fraise
Location :
Dolin produce their Vermouth in Chambery itself. Once the capital of the Duchy of Savoy, this bustling mountain town is now the commercial centre of the French Alps.
Originally, the base wine came from local Savoyard vineyards, notably La Combe de Savoie and Montmélain. Nowadays, it is sourced elsewhere in France. However, they continue to use the special mixture of herbs and aromatic plants found in the Alpine meadows above Chambery.
Size of the Vineyards :
No vineyards owned. Instead, base wine of 10% alcohol is purchased from other regions of France, mainly the Gers (where the grapes for Armagnac are grown).
Grape Varieties :
Various neutral white varieties, e.g. Ugni Blanc, Colombard etc.
Average production :
Up to 100 000 bottles per year total.
Vinification and ageing :
Vermouth is a fortified, aromatized wine; the ingredients are wine, herbs and plants, grape spirit and sugar.
The process chez Dolin begins with purchase of base wine, always white, light in alcohol (10% by volume), and as neutral as possible, both on the nose and palate. To this is added a selection of herbs and plants, which are left to macerate several months. The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, but there are something like 54 different plants used - notably wormwood, but also hyssop, camomile, juniper, quinine bark and rose petals.
The aromatized wine is then lightly sugared, to less than 30 g/l for the Dry and 130 g/l for the Blanc and Rouge. The colour of the Rouge does not come from red base wine, which is unsuitable for the production of elegant Vermouth. Instead it comes from the particular plants used, and from sweetening with dark, caramelised sugar. Finally, the Vermouths are fortified - up to 16° for the sweeter styles, and 17.5° for the Dry.
Chamberyzette is made with the addition of syrup of strawberries from the Alps. It is fortified to 16° alcohol.
Marketing :
Unlike the Italian giants on the other side of the Alps, Dolin is a small operation producing fine Vermouths for the more discerning customer. Most of the production is exported, notably to the UK, Japan, Canada, Australia and Spain.
Tasting notes :
Dolin Vermouths are notably lighter, drier and less pungent than their Italian cousins. The particular mixture of plants found near Chambery give a fresh, restrained and elegant nose, with a subtle, complex bittersweet palate. Even the Blanc and Rouge retain great balance, with the sugar never cloying, and just enough bitterness to whet the appetite. Serve on ice, with a twist of orange.
Notes on the property :
Dolin is the last independent company still producing Vermouth de Chambery. The others have all been swallowed by large international concerns, often more interested in quantity and 'branding' than in intrinsic quality. Fortunately, Dolin continue to make the authentic product, according to the principles which earned Chambery France's only A.C. for Vermouth back in 1932. This means production in Chambery itself, maceration of real plants rather than pre-prepared infusions, and the unique addition of sugar as opposed to other sweetening products. The finished Vermouth contains 75-80% wine, much more than most industrial aromatised 'wines'.
The practice of aromatizing wine dates back to the Ancient Greeks. This was done to mask poor wine, or to add extra complexity to something already good. It also proved to be an effective form of early, homeopathic medicine. Right up until the 20th century, doctors regularly prescribed Vermouths and aromatized liqueurs for all manner of illness, and many people continue to take a glass per day for medicinal reasons. The particular quality of Vermouth de Chambery was first identified, in 1821, by one Joseph Chavasse, whose son-in-law Ferdinand Dolin inherited the recipe, and the now eponymous company. Dolin Vermouth was winning medals in Philadelphia, St Louis and London in the late 19th century, and still remains the benchmark for fine French Vermouth.
According to Chavasse's recipe, the base wine was made from local grapes. However, phylloxera led to replanting in the region with red varieties, or overly aromatic whites such as Jacquère. As with Cognac and Armagnac, the best base wine is very light, and as neutral as possible. From 1920 onwards, Dolin have sourced their wine elsewhere in France. Not surprisingly, the majority of the base wine now comes from the Armagnac vineyards of the Gers. On the other hand, the particular flavours and aromas of the plants are of crucial importance, and the Dolin secret recipe continues to be made from the herbs and aromatic plants naturally found in the Alpine meadows above Chambery. These are individual Vermouths of remarkable freshness, purity and complexity. |
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