Ciroc Premium French Vodka 70 cl 40%

High above the Tarn valley in Gaillac the grapes come off the vine while the nights are still cold. They never reach a wine bottle. They are pressed, fermented and pushed through five distillations until nothing but clear spirit remains. And still, the vineyard is somehow left in the glass.

Expert description

Ciroc Premium French Vodka is a French Vodka distilled five times from French wine grapes and bottled at 40%.

Two white grape varieties do the work. Mauzac Blanc grows in the high vineyards around Gaillac in south west France, Ugni Blanc comes from Cognac. The fruit is cold macerated at around 8 degrees so the aromatics are drawn slowly out of the skins, then the must is cold fermented into wine. Distillation only begins once that wine is finished. The method belongs to the wine trade rather than to the brewhouse.

The first four runs happen in column stills, taking the spirit up to roughly 96%. The fifth and final run takes place in a tailor made copper pot still at Maison Villevert in southern France, and that is where the character is set. Nothing is aged and nothing is added before the spirit is cut with water to 40%. Since no grain enters the recipe, the vodka is gluten free.

Tasting notes

Nose

Citrus peel and a light floral lift. Underneath sits something sweet and juicy that points clearly towards grape rather than grain.

Palate

Soft, almost oily across the tongue. Citrus arrives first, then a mild white grape sweetness, and finally a trace of white pepper.

Finish

Short and clean cut. The citrus note withdraws slowly and leaves no burn behind in the throat.

Specifications

Name: Ciroc Premium French Vodka
Distillery: Ciroc
Region/Country: Cognac, France
Type: French Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Five times distilled
EAN no.: 5010103916738
Serving suggestion: Cold in a small glass, or in a Vodka Martini where the citrus has room to speak.

Flavour profile

Citrus fresh · Soft · Lightly grape sweet · Clean

Did you know?

The name joins the French words cime, meaning summit, and roche, meaning rock. It points at the high vineyards around Cordes-sur-Ciel in Gaillac, a medieval town founded in 1222 that sits so far up its cliff that locals call it the village in the clouds.

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Frequently asked questions about Ciroc Premium French Vodka

Why does Ciroc taste different from grain vodka?

Because the raw material is different. Grapes bring fruit acidity and a light, citrus led sweetness, where grain usually delivers a rounder, bread like softness. Add the cold maceration and the five distillations and you end up with a vodka closer to a dry white wine than to a classic Eastern European bottling.

How should it be served?

Cold, but not frozen. Around 8-10 degrees keeps the citrus alive, while the freezer shuts the aromatics down and turns the whole thing into texture. Use a small tulip shaped glass when drinking it neat so the aroma gathers over the rim instead of escaping.

Which cocktails suit it best?

Anything with citrus in the equation. A Vodka Martini, a French 75 built on vodka instead of gin, or a plain Vodka Tonic with grapefruit peel. The soft texture also holds up well in a Cosmopolitan. Find more options among our Vodka brands.

Is it gluten free?

Yes. No wheat, barley or rye goes into production, only French wine grapes. That makes it an easy answer when you are hosting guests who avoid gluten and otherwise have to interrogate every bottle on the table.

What do the five distillations actually do?

They strip out the heaviest and harshest elements step by step. The first four runs happen in column stills and clean the spirit up to around 96%, while the fifth run in a copper pot still puts the character back. That is why the vodka manages to be soft and still have fruit to offer.

How long does an opened bottle keep?

Years, provided you close the cap properly. The strength preserves it and there is no sugar or added flavouring that can spoil. A half empty bottle left in direct sunlight for a long stretch will gradually lose citrus definition, so pick the darkest shelf in the cabinet.

Who created Ciroc?

French distiller and oenologist Jean-Sébastien Robicquet, who launched the brand in 2003. He comes from a line of wine growers and distillers and spent ten years at the cognac house Hennessy before Diageo asked him to build a vodka on grapes rather than grain.