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Jean-Charles Boisset launches caviar-infused vodka
Flamboyant Frenchman Jean-Charles Boisset has branched out from wine into the world of spirits with a new collection that includes a caviar-infused vodka.
Among the spirits in Boisset’s new collection is a caviar-infused vodka made from sturgeon from Southwest France
The JCB Spirits collection also includes a Périgord truffle-infused vodka, a classic vodka and a gin distilled from a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay base from grapes grown in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or.
Encapsulating Boisset’s signature flair, the “ultra premium” spirits are housed in elegant crystal decanters inspired by Boisset’s 17th and 18th-century collection.
No shrinking violet: Jean-Charles Boisset
Boisset worked with a master distiller in Nuits-Saint-Georges for over 15 years to perfect the spirits recipes, which include sturgeon caviar from Southwest France and prized Périgord truffles.
The Pinot and Chardonnay grapes that go into the gin are hand picked and hand sorted, while the water hails from “historical” springs in France.
In a hat tip to his wine roots, Boisset’s spirit collection will be produced just once a year. The inaugural 2012 vintage yielded just 7,200 bottles.
The Pinot Noir grapes were partially de-stemmed and fermented in French oak open-top vats for three weeks. Before distillation, the wine was then aged in barrel for six months.
The Chardonnay grapes meanwhile were gently pressed then aged in French oak for six months.
The two wines were then blended together, distilled seven times in order to achieve “the perfect, silky texture”, and then filtered five times.
Among the botanicals in the gin are juniper, roses, coriander, chamomile, honeysuckle, dandelion, calendula, borage, valerian, nettle and lemon balm.
“JCB Spirits is the culmination of my dream of many years to create the ultimate elixir,” Boisset said.
“Distilled from a wine base and infused with botanicals as well as delicacies from the land and sea, these spirits are the ultimate expressions of what the earth has to offer,” he added.
According to Boisset, who is married to wine maven Gina Gallo and lives in California, the caviar vodka is “elegant but not overpowering”, while the truffle-infused vodka offers “the perfect umami expression”.
The collection has gone on sale across the US, in states including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, New York, Texas, and Washington.
The Boissei family were – and are – very creative wine & now, apparently, spirit capitalists who have built an impressive stable from their modest Burgundian roots. I admire both father and son as trend setters and pathfinders.