A lot of bottle at Villa Symposia

Large format bottles at Villa Symposia impressive winery outside Aspiran. For comparison the labelled bottle is standard size.

I overlooked Pastis

Following on from my last post on marc and spirits I overlooked mentioning Pastis. Having nothing to do with grapes and wine is a good reason, but love it or hate it, aniseed based spirit and the Mediterranean are pretty inseparable.

Pastis has French origins in Provence and the big and well know names still come from beyond the Rhone. As with wine there are artisan producers, and as with fine and marc, there aren't many. Differentiation from large scale producers is through the use of fresh aromatic plants many producers grow themselves.

My tipple is Pastis des Homs from the northern edge of the Larzac plateau. Added to the aniseed and liquorice base are 15 aromatic plants (thyme, rosemary, savory and the like) grown on site. The result is a taste at the fennel end of the aniseed spectrum with no bitterness. Light, yet is packed with flavour and almost has crunch. I also like the snow white it turns when water is added; most take on an unappetising yellow tinge. About €22, but as a bottle lasts me a season well worth it.

For a deeper star anise style try Pastis aux Plantes from Bernard Marty. Made in the heart of the Hérault at St Thibery several ingredients are included in the bottling so the maceration can continue until the bottle is finished.