CHARTREUSE - VEP Green - 1 Liter Bottle - Period 1983-1990 - 54%
The Order of the Chartreuse had existed for over 500 years when, in 1605, at a Chartreuse monastery in Vauvert, a small suburb of Paris, the monks received a precious gift from Duke François Hannibal d'Estrées: an ancient manuscript revealing the recipe for an "Elixir" nicknamed the "Elixir of Long Life." This manuscript was probably the work of a 16th-century alchemist, endowed with extensive knowledge of herbs, combining the subtle art of assembling, infusing, and macerating 130 different plants to create a perfectly balanced and unique tonic. The extreme complexity of the recipe meant that only certain elements were initially decoded and used at Vauvert. At the beginning of the 18th century, this precious manuscript was transferred to the Order's Mother House, La Grande Chartreuse, nestled in the mountains near Grenoble. The Monastery's Apothecary, Brother Jérôme Maubec, managed to unravel the mystery and, in 1737, wrote the practical formula for preparing the Elixir, finalized in 1764. In 1903, under the nationalization of the distillery, the monks were expelled. But during the 1929 bankruptcy, they regained possession of the Chartreuse brand, returning to the distillery built in 1860 at Fourvoirie, near the Monastery, to relaunch the authentic production of Chartreuse liqueurs. In 1935, following a landslide that almost destroyed Fourvoirie, production was transferred to Voiron, a historic site where it continues today.
The careful selection, precise grinding, and rigorous blending of secret herbs, aromatic and medicinal plants are carried out within the monastery itself by two expert monks, true guardians of this ancestral knowledge. Once assembled, these rare ingredients are transported to Voiron where they undergo maceration in an exceptionally high-quality alcohol, carefully selected, before being distilled with a unique traditional know-how. Finally, these precious liqueurs age for several years in immense oak barrels, kept in the aging cellar renowned for hosting the longest maturations in the world, giving Chartreuse its inimitable character.
A very exclusive selection of this liqueur undergoes special treatment. This fraction is aged well beyond the usual standards and, as soon as the master distiller judges this batch perfectly mature, it is bottled to form the prestigious V.E.P. Chartreuse version ("Exceptionally Prolonged Aging"). Each V.E.P. bottle, a faithful reproduction of the one used in 1840, is individually numbered, sealed with wax, and presented in an elegant custom-made wooden box, thus guaranteeing its authenticity and exceptional character.
