La Troussepinette White 750ML is a 17% ABV French apéritif wine made from wild blackthorn shoots macerated in cognac and white wine. This singular bottling earned a Chairman's Trophy with a 96/100 score at the 2012 Ultimate Spirits Challenge in New York, competing against more than 650 spirits from over 30 countries and receiving the panel's rare "Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation" designation.Quick Facts: ABV: 17% | Origin: Vendée & Charente-Maritime, France | Style: Apéritif Wine / Liqueur | Producer: Gérard Pagnon (Lise Baccara)Production & HeritageLa Troussepinette White is produced by Gérard Pagnon, a small wine grower and master liquoriste operating under the Lise Baccara label from facilities in Saint-Martin-Lars-en-Sainte-Hermine in the Vendée and Pons in Charente-Maritime. Each spring, Pagnon hand-harvests nearly three tonnes of wild blackthorn shoots while they are still full of rising sap. The shoots are sliced and macerated in low-alcohol cognac for one to two months, allowing the sap and tannins to slowly extract. White wine and sugar are then introduced, initiating a second and third phase of maceration over a total period of roughly three months. The liquid is filtered and bottled according to what Pagnon describes as an original ancient recipe — a process known in full only to himself — distinguishing it from commercially simplified versions of the traditional Vendéen apéritif.Tasting NotesAroma: The nose opens with a deep, concentrated bouquet of ripe sloe fruit, followed by subtle herbaceous currents from the young blackthorn shoots. Underneath, a gentle almond-like sweetness and faint floral lift round out the aromatics.Taste: The entry is soft and fruit-forward, with sloe berry dominating the front palate. At mid-palate, delicate almond and fresh herbal tones emerge, weaving into a distinctive sweet-bitter interplay that defines the drink's character. The cognac base provides a gentle warmth that carries but never overwhelms the botanical complexity.Finish: The finish is medium-length with a clean, lingering bitterness reminiscent of wild hedgerow fruit. A trace of almond and dried herb persists, inviting the next sip.How to Drink La TroussepinetteThe traditional serve is well-chilled and neat in a small apéritif glass — the way it has been drunk in the Vendée for generations. A few ice cubes on a warm afternoon work equally well, keeping the herbal complexity intact while tempering the sweetness. In a Kir-style apéritif, substitute La Troussepinette for crème de cassis alongside dry sparkling wine for an aromatic, lower-sugar variation. In a Spritz, combine it with soda water and a citrus twist to highlight the sloe-almond profile at a lighter dilution. For a French 75 riff, use a small measure in place of the standard liqueur alongside gin and Champagne to introduce a bitter-botanical backbone.Best For Serving as a pre-dinner apéritif at a French-themed gathering Gifting to an adventurous spirits enthusiast seeking something genuinely rare Pairing with a charcuterie or cheese course at an intimate dinner party Adding an unusual French selection to a curated home bar Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat does La Troussepinette taste like? La Troussepinette White delivers a distinctive sweet-bitter profile centered on ripe sloe berry and delicate almond, layered with fresh herbaceous notes from wild blackthorn shoots. The cognac base adds a gentle warmth without heavy spirit burn.How does La Troussepinette compare to Pineau des Charentes? Both are fortified aperitif wines from western France with a cognac connection, but they differ fundamentally in flavor. Pineau des Charentes is a blend of unfermented grape must and cognac with a fruit-forward, purely vinous sweetness, while La Troussepinette derives its signature bitter-almond and sloe character from macerated blackthorn shoots.Is La Troussepinette good for sipping neat? Sipping it chilled and neat is the traditional and most revealing way to experience it. At 17% ABV, it drinks more like a fortified wine than a spirit, making it approachable and easy to enjoy on its own.Where is La Troussepinette made? It is produced by Gérard Pagnon of Lise Baccara in the Vendée and Charente-Maritime regions of western France, near the Cognac appellation. The blackthorn shoots are wild-harvested locally each spring.What foods pair well with La Troussepinette? Aged goat cheese from the Loire complements the almond and herbal notes. Country-style pâté or rillettes echo the rustic French origin. Fresh oysters from nearby Marennes-Oléron contrast the sweetness with briny salinity. Roasted almonds mirror the drink's almond undertone, and a simple fruit tart with stone fruit amplifies the sloe character.What sizes does La Troussepinette come in? The standard bottling is 750ml, which is the most widely available format.Is La Troussepinette worth the price? La Troussepinette positions as a specialty artisanal apéritif with extremely limited production. Its 96-point Chairman's Trophy from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge validates its quality at a level rarely seen in the apéritif category, and the hand-harvested, multi-phase production process justifies its premium-tier pricing relative to mass-produced fortified wines.Why La Troussepinette?Virtually unknown outside western France until its 96/100 Chairman's Trophy at the 2012 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, La Troussepinette White represents a centuries-old Vendéen drinking tradition that has almost no commercial equivalent. Gérard Pagnon's three-phase maceration — first in cognac, then in white wine — follows an artisanal process he has guarded as proprietary, producing a sweet-bitter complexity that industrial apéritifs cannot replicate. The annual hand-harvest of nearly three tonnes of wild blackthorn shoots places a natural ceiling on production, making each bottle genuinely limited. For anyone seeking a French apéritif with real provenance and a flavor profile that stands entirely apart from pastis, Lillet, or Pineau des Charentes, this is a category of one.
