Padró & Co. Reserva Especial

Padró & Co. Reserva Especial is, quite possibly, the most complex and most sumptuous vermouth crafted by the historic Padró i Família winery, and the one that most directly pays tribute to the great fortified wines the house produced at the end of the 19th century.

At its heart lies a Tarragona Clásico-style liqueur wine —the local D.O. Tarragona term for high-proof fortified wines, akin to Port or Sherry— made from black Grenache and aged for 5 years in large 7,000-litre oak vats. This long-standing solera wine is blended into the final recipe alongside the vermouth botanicals, and the whole cuvée then rests for 18 months in Sherry casks —500-litre oak barrels from bodegas in the province of Cádiz— in one of the longest and most elaborate ageing processes in the range.

On the nose, it is intense and incisive, with aromas of dried figs, toasted hazelnuts and green walnuts. On the palate, the attack is elegant, warm and deeply liqueur-like, with flavours of liquorice and medicinal herbs wrapped in sweet notes and a refined, persistent bitterness.

This is the vermouth for after-dinner moments, for slow tasting and contemplation. Ideal with chocolate desserts, aged cheeses or simply served neat in a glass at room temperature.