Nouaison Gin Reserve, by G’Vine is a French gin from the Cognac area. The gin is made from 14 different herbs and spices. What makes Nouaison Gin Reserve very special is that the base spirit is based on grapes, unlike most other gins that use wheat or other grains, and that it is barrel-aged. The cask aging takes place in Cognac casks from Domaine Le Pérat, and gives an elegantly delicious gin that can be enjoyed alone or over ice. The grape used is primarily Ugni Blanc (chardonnay and viognier are also used), which is distilled to 96.4%, after which it is massaged with various herbs and ingredients, including green-harvested grapes. The gin is then batch-distilled with the other ingredients in a 250 liter Charentais kettle. The actual fruiting process during viticulture is known as ‘Nouaison’ in French, from which the gin also takes its name. That is, where the flowering transitions to buds that form the early grapes. It is a concentration of energy, and with its 45%, the gin is strong and spicy and has an intense note of juniper, as well as a concentration that gives a fantastic zest to a gin/tonic or a dry martini. There are also delicious notes of bergamot, prunes, black pepper from java and vitiveria (slightly grassy note). Nouaison Gin Reserve is great for a Negroni (3cl Nouaison Reserve, 3cl Sweet vermouth and 3cl Bitter) or for a royal Negroni (4.5cl Nouaison Gin Reserve, 4.5cl La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Rouge and 2 dashes of orange bitters).
