The creator of G’Vine gins, Jean-Sébastien Robicqeut was born and raised amongst vineyards so it’s not completely surprising that vines would inspire him to create a different style of gin. His bold choice to use vine flowers (fleurs de vigne) as a botanical ingredient resulted in two different styles of French gin. G’Vine Floraison and G’Vine Nouaison.(Floraison and Noauison refer to two different stages in the growth cycle of the vine. Floraison is the blossoming stage and Nouaison is the stage after where the first young berries appear.)
The small, green flowers blossom on the Ugni Blanc vine for only 10-15 days. Pickers have to move quickly, otherwise they have to wait a full year! The delicate petals are then steeped in Ugni Blanc neutral spirit for several days before distillation. The other botanicals are separated into 4 flavour groups (sweet, spicy etc) and also steeped in grape spirit for 2-5 days. Each group of botanicals is then distilled separately before being blended together with water and more grape spirit before being distilled together in ‘Lily Fleur’, the G’Vine copper pot still.
G’Vine Floraison Gin
This is the gin to offer someone who claims not to like gin. It has a floral and zesty scent and flavour with the juniper turned down quite low, so not for those of you who love a punchy junipery gin.
It’s perfect in a gin and tonic – how much do I love these Spanish-style halon glasses? I’ll definitely be sharing the Floraison love with friends. (I will convert them!)
Botanicals: ‘Floraison’ blossom, juniper, ginger root, liquorice, cassia bark, green cardamom, coriander, cubeb berries, nutmeg and lime.
ABV: 40%
G’Vine Nouaison Gin
Instead of using the blossom as a botanical in Nouaison, the tiny, green berries are used. The rest of the distillation process is identical to the one used in the production of G’Vine Floraison, however the infusions are blended to different proportions so there is more of a juniper hit and it’s higher in ABV, making it more like traditional gins.
It’s bolder and spicier and much more to my juniper-loving taste. It stood up well in a dirty martini but works with a twist too.
Botanicals : ‘Nouaison’ berries, juniper, ginger root, liquorice, cassia bark, green cardamom, coriander, cubeb berries, nutmeg and lime.
ABV: 43.9%
I was gifted the bottle of G’Vine Floraison as a ‘Thank You’ for guest-judging a G’Vine cocktail competition in Melbourne. G’Vine kindly provided Nouaison for review.
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