At Château des Creissauds, Guillaume Ferroni revives spirits that were in vogue in the Age of Enlightenment, using recipes unearthed from old books.
While ratafia is a drink made from fruit macerated in alcohol, the Marseilles ratafia recipe contains red wine.
Guillaume Ferroni's ratafia is made from red fruits (strawberries, raspberries, cherries) macerated in a blend of red wine, alcohol and rum, and spiced with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and coriander. Sugar is added, but much less than at the time!
Nico's tasting notes
On the nose, we discover a sweet and bitter vegetal profile, in the pure style of Italian amaros. Spices quickly take over, with cinnamon leading the way, followed by a flirtation with the spiced rum style, spicy and sweet. This ratafia also takes on the airs of mulled wine or even hypocras. The fruit melts into the whole, which becomes rounder and tangier as time goes by.
The palate is soft but not really sweet, and the tannins of the wine and fruit immediately bring out a gourmet chewiness. All the ingredients are in place, the cinnamon and other spices have melted and blossom in full color.
"A delicious, gourmet aperitif that can also be enjoyed as a cocktail..."
