At the end of the 19th century, wines from Tarragona enjoyed great prestige internationally. At that time, our Padró ancestors were making liquor wines in the style of the “great wines” of the time: Port, Sherry or Sauternes, among others. In 1947, these fortified wines were the first to be regulated within the Tarragona Denominación de Origen or Appellation and were given the name Tarragona Clásicos. We wanted to make a vermouth using a sweet Tarragona Clásico-style liquor wine aged for 5 years in 7,000-litre oak vats and which we have been using at the winery for generations. We add a small amount of this wine to the solera wine in the final vermouth coupage together, of course, with our special touch of vermouth herbs. Intense and striking. Powerful aromas from the prolonged ageing: dried figs, roasted hazelnuts and green walnuts.
Vinification
Our base wine for this vermouth is a well-structured Macabeo, perfect for the ageing process and the neutral character of this grape means that it does not interfere with the action of the exceptionally bitter herbs used. The vermouth rests for 9 months in semi-new chestnut barrels before bottling.
One of the main characteristics of this vermouth is the absence of caramel, allowing it to retain its natural amber colour and recover the essence of the original home-made vermouths. The main herb we use in this vermouth is artemisia, the traditional starting point in any vermouth. But there is another plant that is also very common in vermouth – gentian, containing what is probably the most bitter substance in the world – amarogentin – and we use it in this vermouth.
Nose: A blend of wild and dry woodland herbs with a subtle mineral note.
Mouth: Balsamic, refreshing and elegant with perfectly-balanced bitter-sweet sensations.
