Valdespino Vermouth

Valdespino has been making sherry in Jerez since 1430, and their vermouth starts where most others can’t: with old, cask-aged sherries as the base wine. Botanicals and a touch of sweetness are layered over that, so the result is rounder and more savoury than the usual Italian red.

Expect dried fig, orange peel, walnut and warm spice, with the unmistakable oxidative nuttiness of Jerez running underneath. Sweet but not sticky, with a long, bitter-edged finish.

Spanish style is to drink it on its own: over a large ice cube with an orange slice and a green olive, as an aperitif before dinner. It also makes a serious Negroni or Manhattan, and it’s excellent with salted almonds, jamón and hard cheese. Keep in the fridge once open.