SALERS Gin awarded at the Concours Général Agricole
This year, the 129th Concours Général Agricole was held from February 22 to March 1, 2020 in Paris, Porte de Versailles. This competition showcases French produce, wines and animals, while rewarding producers who are committed to taste and product quality in order to promote French excellence and know-how. To this end, the competition awards three categories of medals each year: gold, silver and bronze. A Prix d’Excellence is also awarded to recognize producers for the quality of their work.
There are 5 categories of competition:
- The breeding stock competition, first held in 1870. The jury awards plaques to the best French animals.
- The wine competition is a must in the wine industry, as is its recognition in terms of fairness in the awarding of medals.
- The products competition, which covers all products from the French terroir, includes 35 categories (jams, dairy products, aperitifs, brandies, etc.).
- The young people’s competition rewards students in agricultural and hotel education.
- The agro-ecological practices competition rewards all farmers or breeders who opt to improve their plots of land in order to guarantee better agricultural production.
Focus on Selection
The selection of product samples is totally random, with an agent from the Chamber of Agriculture on hand to collect samples from stock or by direct tank sampling. The products are then presented anonymously for the final in Paris. On average, 6 jurors per table taste between 5 and 10 products during the final.
How are products rated?
Each jury member is given a score based on organoleptic criteria. All the juries’ opinions then determine the awarding of medals to the best local products. It should be noted that the results of these tastings are based solely on the quality of the products.
Focus on VEDRENNE
VEDRENNE has been taking part in this competition for 10 years, winning a total of 64 medals. To sum up :
This year, the “still-distilled French gin” category made its debut at the Concours Général Agricole, and the VEDRENNE group competed in this brand-new category with its SALERS gin. The VEDRENNE group was successful, winning a Silver medal in this category. A fine victory for Gin SALERS, an iconic brand whose expertise has been recognized since 1885. A number of comments were made throughout the tasting, as summarized below: Present nose; persistent berry/floral aroma; good length all the same. This comment clearly demonstrates the intensity and power of this Gin’s nose, as well as the aromatic delicacy provided by the slow distillation method used to make SALERS Gin.
Gin SALERS
A PURE PRODUCT OF AUVERGNE! An icon of the Auvergne region, the Distillerie de la Salers has been an expert in distillation since 1885, thanks to its unique know-how and rigorous selection of plants and spices. Today, it offers Gin Salers, typical of its exceptional terroir. Distillerie de la Salers has added a selection of 11 plants and spices to the original gin recipe, including gentian root, emblematic of the Massif Central. Gin Salers is distilled in small batches, in water baths in the company’s historic stills. This slow, low-temperature distillation preserves all the delicacy of the aromatics. The bitterness of gentian is erased to extract the floral expression of its terroir of origin. Salers gin reveals an intense, powerful nose with notes of citrus and cardamom, enhanced by hints of juniper. These aromas also carry through to the palate, with a spicy finish of pepper, ginger and gentian.
ABOUT THE SALERS DISTILLERY
In 1885, distiller Ambroise Labounoux came up with the idea of using Auvergne yellow gentian to make an original aperitif liqueur: Salers. Even today, Salers, with its bitterness and herbaceous aromas, is the flagship liqueur of the Massif Central.
