Le Gin 13
Quintessential, a family-owned and -operated import, marketing and sales company known for its wine portfolio, has entered into the craft spirits world with Le Gin 13.
This organic grape gin comes form the Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer of Les Cailloux and Cuvée Centenaire, André Brunel. Made from organic grapes and featuring botanicals, including juniper, coriander and rosemary, Le Gin 13 is meant to be a blend of classic gin flavors with a Rhône twist.
“There could not be a more suitable spirit to enter the craft sector than with Fabrice Brunel’s handcrafted gin,” says Dennis Kreps, co-owner of Quintessential. “He brings such passion and authenticity to anything he creates, and Le Gin 13 is no different. It offers something special to both wine and spirits consumers alike with its perfect blend of tradition and innovation.”
Produced by Fabrice and Romain Pitaud, the winemaking team at André Brunel, Le Gin 13 is a vintaged gin, with the inaugural batch featuring grapes from the 2022 harvest, followed by 2023.
“As a gin enthusiast, I drew inspiration from my home, the Rhône, to craft a gin tailored for wine aficionados,” Fabrice says. “Le Gin 13 embodies the concept of terroir through carefully selected botanicals, a deep connection to our winemaking heritage and by highlighting the differing characteristics in vintaged gin.”
The 13 in the name represents the 13 grape varieties grown in the Rhône, as well as Le Gin 13 featuring a blend of 13 ingredients (from greatest to least amount): juniper, coriander, angelica root, cinnamon, orange peel, rosemary, cardamon, pepper, Sichuan pepper, lavender, thyme, fennel and vanilla.
Le Gin 13 follows traditional gin techniques while using grapes, stems and skins, the company says. The base alcohol, a byproduct of wine fermentation, undergoes distillation to produce a spirit like marc in France or grappa in Italy, until reaching 96 degrees of alcohol. It is then cut to 45 degrees of alcohol, heated and infused with herbs for three days, followed by a distillation process to yield the final product.
Le Gin 13 will be available nationwide in the U.S. by fall 2024.