cascode
Lillet Rouge
Other Aromatized Wine — Bordeaux, France
Reviewed
December 17, 2020 (edited August 10, 2022)
Appearance: Burgundy.
Aroma: Full-bodied, fruity red wine with spice and citrus notes – it brings mulled claret to mind.
Flavour and Texture: Sweet and bitter in equal measure on the entry. Oak tannin, quinine and a bright fruity bitterness that fades to a full but dry finish. There is a crisp and lively character throughout.
Lillet Rouge is less well-known than its illustrious older sibling, which is a great shame. While the Blanc is indispensable as a bar ingredient (and delightful by itself) the Rouge expression is more suited as the base for punches, spritzes, and other long drinks.
It’s a cousin to Italian aperitivi such as Aperol and Select, but it has a richer and more elegant profile as the base is full-bodied red wine. It is also a cousin to Dubonnet and Byrrh. When used as a long drink base it becomes similar to Lambrusco, rouge Moscato, Sangria and other light summer wines and punches. It teams spectacularly well with red meat, particularly charcoal-grill meat on a hot afternoon.
Lillet Rouge is excellent neat over ice with a slice of orange as a refreshing aperitif and it mixes very well with tonic to make a longer drink (as does Lillet Blanc). For those with a sweet tooth try substituting sparkling lemonade for tonic to make a very easy-drinking cooler, but if that is too sweet then try soda water of varying types. I’ve found Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic to be a marvelous combination.
Incidentally, if you are watching your weight and trying to find a long spritz-like cooler for summer it's worth noting that the bitter notes in Lillet Rouge precisely mask the taste of artificial sweetener in no-sugar lemonade. The combination of the two is brilliantly balanced.
It's a delicious aromatized wine that deserves to be more widely acknowledged. Buy a bottle and start experimenting - it will work a treat in any applicable context.
“Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)
45.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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@ cascode A man of action! Cheers! I actually settled on a "very" long spritz as my favorite so far with Cappelletti... Small squeeze of lemon + 2 oz Cap + 4 oz seltzer. I didn't care as much for building the same way I do with Aperol (same proportions but white sparkling or still wine and plenty of orange - expressed peel, juice, bitters, whatever) - it seemed to clash with the Capp instead of compliment.
@bigwhitemike Cappelletti is one I've not tried yet, but it's available at a store withing walking distance - think I'll take a stroll this afternoon ...
@cascode I have often heard of Lillet and their ilk as perhaps more subtle substitutes for vermouth. I've tried (and enjoyed) Cappelletti as perhaps the most similar to this, but it's clearly diifferent than Aperol, a bit gentler and "rounder" - less direct on the palate - and seems happier when paired with a different citrus profile.
@bigwhitemike Aperol is more immediately sweet, as you say, but the major difference would be that aperol is sweet orange at its core, while Lillet rouge is sweet red wine. I've not tried it yet but substituting it for rouge vermouth in a cocktail could just work - not certain. Another alternative is Select aperitivo, from Venice. It is also "grapey" in profile and a tad less syrupy and sweet than Aperol. There's also Luxardo which I have in the bar but not yet tried - I'll open it today once the sun is over the yardarm and let you know ...
Also, great review. I will have to pick up a bottle. My hunt is alive for alternatives to Aperol despite my enjoyment of it... this one sounds less syrupy but quite nice. Have a bottle of blanc but never tried this one.
@cascode @ContemplativeFox again the price differentials blow my mind. By me in the states, all the Lillet expressions are $20-22 USD, while Aperol is $25 unless on sale.
Aperol is a fantastic aperitivo, but that's its only game. Mixed the right way with prosecco and a little soda it's one of the most refreshing long drinks I can think of, and perfect on a hot summer afternoon. Lillet Rouge is very similar in that role but it is also more versatile, and I think a more elegant drink over all. If I had to choose between the two, I'd go for Lillet. It is almost twice as expensive as Aperol, but I think it's worth the cost.
I love the notes about applications. Quality-wise, how would you say Aperol compares? When you started describing this, that was what immediately cam eto my mind.