Lillet Rose Aperitif
Lillet Rose Aperitif is the rose of the historic Podensac house — 17% ABV (34 proof), 750mL, a wine-based aperitif built on Grand Cru Bordeaux wines, Semillon-led for structure, brightened with Sauvignon Blanc and the floral lift of Muscatel, then blended with artisanal orange liqueurs, fruit liqueurs and a small touch of Peruvian quinine. Pale, fresh and delicately bitter, it is the aperitif hour in a glass. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 17% (34 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Base: Grand Cru Bordeaux wines — Semillon-dominant, with Sauvignon Blanc and Muscatel
- Blend: Sweet orange (Spain) and bitter orange (Haiti) liqueurs, fruit liqueurs, a touch of Peruvian quinine
- Origin: Maison Lillet, Podensac, Bordeaux, France (founded 1872)
The Rose of Podensac
Lillet has been made in the small Bordeaux town of Podensac since 1872, and the Rose — the house's first new creation in half a century when it arrived — applies the family method to a paler, fruitier register. The base wines are blended Champagne-style for colour consistency, the citrus and red-fruit liqueurs are made near Podensac, and a whisper of Lillet Rouge deepens the blush. The result sits between a fine rose wine and a classic French aperitif. Pour it alongside the rest of our wine shelves, browse the liqueurs and aperitifs range, or visit the Lillet vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Light berries, orange blossom and grapefruit. Palate: Fresh and lively — strawberry, red berries, melon and stone fruit over a balanced structure with a slight, appetising acidity. Finish: Clean, crisp and fairly long, the gentle quinine bitterness tidying the fruit.
How to Enjoy
Serve it well chilled, over ice in a wine glass, or build the house Rose Spritz: one part Lillet Rose to two parts grapefruit soda (or tonic) with a grapefruit slice. It is also a graceful low-ABV base for a Vesper-style twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lillet Rose a wine or a spirit? It is a wine-based aperitif — Bordeaux wines blended with fruit and orange liqueurs and a touch of quinine, bottled at 17% ABV. It drinks like a fortified rose, not a distilled spirit.
How should Lillet Rose be served? Well chilled: neat over ice, lengthened with tonic or grapefruit soda as a spritz, or used in place of vermouth-style modifiers in lighter cocktails.
Where is Lillet made? In Podensac, in Bordeaux, France, where the Lillet brothers founded the house in 1872. The Rose is blended there from Grand Cru Bordeaux wines.
Podensac's blush-pink classic, ready for spritz season — order Lillet Rose Aperitif online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.