Product: Lillet Blanc Producer: Lillet Approximate Retail Value: $15 for 750ml bottle Category: Wine Country of Origin: Bordeaux, France Reviewer: D. Kearney Sparano The F Words: Flavor – Citrus and sweet. Feel – Smooth and refreshing. Finish – Clean and dry.

Rating:

If you have never heard of Lillet or Lillet Blanc before, you are not alone. Until 2006, neither had I. It was the movie Casino Royale that brought it to my attention. Chances are that if you have heard of Lillet it was from either the film or the book. In both, 007 asks the barman to make him a drink of the following: “3 measures of Gordon’s (meaning gin) 1 of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet.” This drink fascinated me and I made it a mission to find out more about it and Lillet itself. Unfortunately, as I learned from a Wikipedia article, this cocktail is very hard to duplicate since modern gin and vodka proofs don’t match their 1953 counterparts and Kina Lillet hasn’t been made since 1986.

Still, since then I have been interested in Lillet and did some research into it. Lillet comes in two forms: blanc (blond) and rouge. It is considered an aperitif which is an alcoholic drink meant to accommodate or stimulate the palette while eating. Other aperitifs would be ouzo, vermouth, port, sherry and so on. Lillet is made in Bordeaux and is based on the grapes of the regions vineyards. The wines are blended, fermented and several varieties of oranges and other fruits are blended with it. This mixture is then cold brewed and placed in oak vats to mature for a year. After maturation, young vintages are blended with older ones to create a consistent taste.

My question, of course, is: “How should I drink it?” Luckily for me the website, Lillet.fr, gives many wonderful suggestions. All suggestions, though, recommend that it be served chilled. So to prepare, I put the bottle in the freezer for about half an hour.

It is said in Bordeaux, they like it neat. After pouring it into my glass and letting it sit for a couple of seconds I can pick up wonderful citrus notes from the aroma. My first impression in taste is the sweet citrus flavors. The white wine component keeps the overall flavor and finish dry, but the citrus notes are wonderful undertones.  One aspect that you might not like is its slight tendency toward a syrup thickness. I don’t find it bothersome, but I could see how one would.

The New York style, which is on the rocks with lemon or orange, I find to be delicious. It’s refreshing, the lemon heightens the citrus notes and it cleans the palette well. I would highly recommend it as a summer drink to anyone who is a fan of a gin and tonic but is looking for something a little different.

Lillet Blanc lends itself to warm climates. It is not something I would want in the middle of the winter, but definitely between May and early September. Since it is an aperitif I would recommend it with light hors d’oeuvres or fish. It is wonderfully versatile as a drink and also for cooking purposes. It is too bad it is not more common in the bars I frequent.