Vermouth to many is something from a bygone era, or a cordial to add to a mixed drink or martini. While those uses are certainly valid, and who doesn’t like a good martini, vermouth is so much more than that. Most are really crafted to be enjoyed by themselves, and a small glass of vermouth in the evening after dinner has become a favorite ritual of mine. They are expressive, incredibly complex and make a great aperitif or excellent digestive. Being a fortified wine, they also last a long time on the counter or especially in the fridge, so you can enjoy that bottle over many weeks and not worry about it going bad. They’re almost perfect when you really think about it.
Vermouth is made from a still wine, which is then fortified with spirits and flavored with a series of herbs and botanicals. Generally they use a lot of botanicals, almost 30 in some cases. Due to that the comlexity is off the charts, and a glass of vermouth can be mesmerizing. You can serve it chilled or at room temperature, where room temperature will really bring out the aromatics. The base wine is typically a neutral white wine purchased from a winery. Some wineries will produce their own style of vermouth using their estate wine. Alcohol levels average about 18%, although they can go as high as 22%.
We have two vermouths to review here, both from Italian producer 9diDANTE. One is red, one is white. Generally
most vermouths are white, and the red coloring (or darker coloring really) in some is obtained by adding caramel. At 9diDANTE that color comes from the 50% of DOC Dolcetto grapes in the mix. Only DOC grapes are used by 9diDANTE. Located just outside Alba, in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, 9diDANTE maintains a very strict approach to their vermouth, using only local wine and many local herbs and botanicals.
One of those local botanicals is wormwood, notorious for its use in Absinthe and the legends of it causing hallucinations many years ago. There are stories about it causing the mental challenges of Vincent Van Gogh. The substance at the core of the issue is thujone, which is containd in the wormwood. It is still here, although at lower levels and within government approved limits. Also, the “Green Fairy” of the 19th century was much higher in alcohol. Whether the legend is true or not, the current day versons are safe and enjoyable.
9diDANTE is a small producer, with only a handful of full time employees. They are also the oldest distiller of Grappa di Barolo. You’ll notice the reference to Dante carries through in the names of the vermouths, as the distillery takes its inspriation from Dante’s Divine Comedy, considered one of the great pieces of old world literature. Rest assured that drinking 9diDANTE vermouth will not relegate you to any of Dante’s nine levels of hell.
Here are the two we sampled:
9diDANTE Purgatorio: the base wine here is 100% Arneis from the Piemonte DOC. It sports 18% alcohol. This
one hits you in the face with a wide range of herbs. You get the whole Simon and Garfunkel Scarborough Fair experience: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. You get a lot more than that as well. There is some citrus and a bitter note at the end. I’ve been enjoying this mostly as an after dinner drink at room temperature. It is incredibly complex. You can find this easily online, but check out your local shops as well. It will run you around $30 – $35, and that is a very fair price considering how many times you will enjoy it.
9diDANTE Inferno: this is made with a base wine consisting of 50% Dolcetto and 50% Cortese, both from the Piemonte DOC. It’s slightly less alcoholic at 17.5%. While the whole spectrum of herbs and
botanicals are still there, what really strikes you is the core of fruit and some of the red wine nuances that form the base of the cordial. I absolutely love this, and it is officially one of my new favorite things. It drinks like a crazy complex but still fruit driven red wine. You really have to try it to appreciate it. It will also be in the $30-$35 range. Highly, highly recommended.
I’m a big fan of vermouth, and the versions from 9diDANTE do not diappoint. The Inferno is staggeringly good. If you’re open to something a bit different, then do give these a try.
A votre santé!
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