Distillerie Chromatique Akvavit
Clessé, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France
- ABV
- 40%
- Base spirit
- Unknown
- Color
- Clear
- Style
- Unaged Aquavit
Distillerie Chromatique Akvavit is a French organic aquavit produced at Domaine Guillemot-Michel in Quintaine, near Clessé in the Mâconnais. The spirit is built around caraway and dill seeds, with coriander added as a third botanical. Distillerie Chromatique describes the coriander as bringing a fresher citrus-and-spice element to the deeper, lightly aniseed character of dill and caraway.
The Akvavit is distilled as part of the estate’s Chromatique range using traditional copper Burgundy stills. Distillation at the domaine is carried out over a wood fire, a method also used for the other spirits in the range. After distillation, the Akvavit undergoes a short period of resting or maturation intended to soften the young spirit before bottling. It is then reduced gradually to 40% ABV using purified rainwater.
The spirit is bottled at 40% ABV in a 500 ml format and is certified organic. Distillerie Chromatique recommends it neat and chilled, particularly with seafood, and also suggests using it in cocktails such as a Gimlet or Negroni in place of gin.
The product remains in the range and is also found on restaurant spirits lists outside Burgundy.
Bottle gallery
About the producer
Distillerie Chromatique
Clessé, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France
Distillerie Chromatique is the spirits project of Domaine Guillemot-Michel, a family wine estate in Quintaine near Clessé, in Burgundy’s Mâconnais. Pierrette Michel and Marc Guillemot returned to the family estate in 1982 and bottled their first vintage under the Guillemot-Michel name in 1985. Their daughter Sophie Roussille began taking over the estate in 2012 and was later joined by her husband Gautier Roussille. Both are trained agronomists and oenologists.
Sophie had previously worked with Maison Hennessy and introduced distillation to the domaine after returning to Burgundy. Gautier also had experience in the spirits industry, including at Rémy Martin Louis XIII. The estate uses two copper stills dating from 1942, and the eaux-de-vie developed by Sophie and Gautier eventually grew into the Chromatique range, launched in 2023.
Production remains based at Domaine Guillemot-Michel in Quintaine. The stills are wood-fired, using materials available around the estate, including vine wood and acacia. Distillerie Chromatique states that all of its products are certified organic, with raw materials coming from the estate, wild harvesting or organic partner growers. The spirits are produced without colourings, texturising agents, preservatives or similar additives.
The range extends beyond the family’s traditional Marc and Fine de Bourgogne and includes spirits made from cereals, botanicals and other raw materials. Releases have included Engrain, Pop-Corn, Sarrasin, Orge, Gin, Akvavit, Gingembre, Amère Orange, Acacia, Or Vert, Vanille and Métis.