Most people have a vermouth. It’s the one they’re most familiar with. Possibly from drinking it in college, maybe at the first cocktail bar they attended, or from seeing their parents make martinis. As you get older, you see a lot of these brands in the store. The same boring selections, over and over and over. But sometimes, you might just see something unusual, something like Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva.
Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva
Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva is a Spanish vermouth. I purchased it from Wine.com for $19. It macerates for approximately 18 months with various herbs and spices.
Sight: Brown – leaning toward bittersweet chocolate, but more milk chocolate brown around the edges. No issues with transparency though.
Smell: A mélange of berries jumps out of the nose, ranging from raspberries and currants to sumac and cranberry. Notes of dark cherry, vanilla, dark chocolate, and earthy spices run through as well. Some herbal notes are present, but more subdued.
Sip: The palate leads with baked berries drenched in vanilla, clove, and other baking spices. As it opens up, it becomes vibrant, pulling out chocolate, hints of forest floor, flourless chocolate cake, turmeric, and pops of sumac. There’s a nice sweetness that runs all the way though, but isn’t cloying. The mouthfeel is kept light by the brightness, despite the sugar.
Savor: The ending is the first hint of some bitterness that gradually grows with a subtly. Before the bitterness creeps in, syrupy, jammy berries come through covered in cloves in icing sugar.
Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva is an incredible and unusual vermouth that leans heavily into the spice and fruit side of possible combinations. The result is something that’s inviting to sip on it’s own. The delightful mix of baked berries, fresh berries, spices, and sugar leads to something akin to a dessert wine. Thankfully, the slight bitterness and earthy tones help rein things back in. As a sipper, it’s a delight.
In Cocktails
Things got a little more challenging with Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva when we made a Manhattan with it. While most Manhattans have a bourbon or rye forward character with harmonies from the vermouth and bitters, a Cnia Mata Manhattan is a duo. So strong is the flavor that it imparts red fruit characteristics into bourbons that don’t typically display them (like Wild Turkey, Maker’s Mark, and Rittenhouse). This isn’t bad, as the spice increases, but the profile can be a little jarring switching from Carpano Antica or Martini & Rossi.
Looking in different directions, it plays better in a Martinez, complimenting the botanical notes of the gin and the spice of the maraschino liqueur. Being somewhat more powerful, it does well managing to find a home between the flavors, giving a nice amount of levity and fruitiness to the cocktail. Finally, from a base swap standpoint, it seemed to do well in a Manhattan, swapping the bourbon for Plantation Original Dark. The rum notes played well off the fruity flavor, adding to both the tropical elements and the berries.
In Review – Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva
Cnia Mata Vermouth Tinto Reserva is a beautiful vermouth that’s gorgeous on it’s own, but has a tendency to forcibly exert itself in the cocktails it is invited to. As a result, you may find your favorite drink isn’t quite what you’re hoping for when you first make a drink. For that reason, we strongly suggest that you try a bottle before stocking up on a case. All that said, if you find you do like it, the $20 a bottle value proposition for 750 ml is more than adequate for the quality presented. Give it a try.