Lillet Blanc, French Aperitif Wine 17% 75cl

Description

Lillet Blanc was created in 1887 in the town of Podensac, South of Bordeaux near Sauternes, by brothers Paul and Raymond Lillet. Now, before I get into any debates about whether Lillet is a Vermouth or not, I have put it with the Vermouths as I don’t really know where else to put it! Technically it is not a Vermouth as it contains liqueur and does not contain any Wormwood. Lillet Blanc is really categorised as a Tonic wine. It is made from a base of white Bordeaux wines – 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Muscadelle – which are fortified with French brandy. The wine is macerated with fruit which includes the peel of sweet oranges from Spain and Morocco and the peel of bitter green oranges from Hiati. It also contains a liqueur made from the Cinchona bark from Peru and also contains quinine. It is aged in oak casks prior to bottling. Lillet Blanc, which used to be known as Kina Lillet Blanc, was reformulated in 1987 resulting in a fruitier product with less sugar content and bitterness.