Liqueur de Cerise de Bourgogne Léon Quintier 50cl

Léon Quintier's Liqueur de Cerise de Bourgogne is a handmade creation of rare confidentiality, produced in a single small batch of just 60 bottles, rooted in the ancient tradition of Burgundian liqueur makers whose craft traces back to the Cistercian monasteries of the Côte d'Or. A liqueur made entirely by hand, with no concessions to industrial production, speaking with absolute honesty about its origins and identity.

The fruit and its making

Léon Quintier's cherry liqueur is crafted from old heirloom cherry varieties, forgotten and confidential cultivars whose trees once flourished in Burgundy's orchards and possess an aromatic richness, colour depth, and gustatory complexity far beyond modern commercial varieties selected for yield rather than character. These older cherries, smaller, more deeply coloured, and more intensely aromatic than their modern cousins, bring to the liqueur an aromatic complexity and colour richness that industrial production cannot replicate. The making is entirely manual, in the purest Burgundian tradition: long maceration of whole cherries in alcohol to gradually extract all the aromas, natural sugars, and colour from pulp and stone; precise and artisanal dosing of cane sugar to bring the roundness and sweetness characteristic of a great cherry liqueur, never heavy nor masking the natural vivacity of the fruit. The stone, macerated with the pulp, contributes a subtle bitter almond note characteristic of the most complex cherry liqueurs, prolonging the finish with a delicate, elegant bitterness.

Tasting profile

The colour is a deep, luminous garnet red with violet reflections, rich and dense in a way that immediately announces the generosity and quality of the fruit. The nose is immediate in its honesty and depth: cherry asserts itself with full identity, very ripe red fruits, griottine and black cherry, a subtle note of kirsch and sweet almond from the stone, a delicate floral whisper of cherry blossom. This aromatic palette, rich and sincere, speaks directly of the quality of the heirloom varieties chosen by Léon Quintier. On the palate, the attack is round and generous, with naturally restrained sweetness that quickly yields to the cherry's natural acidity and the delicate bitterness of the stone, bringing balance, freshness, and length to silky, well-structured matter. The texture is velvety, the aromatic persistence long and natural, and the finish, subtly almond and fruited, invites prolonged tasting with renewed pleasure.

The producer

Léon Quintier is a emerging artisan liqueur maker of Burgundy whose commitment to quality and tradition reads in every detail of this production: the choice of heirloom varieties, entirely manual work, the confidential batch size, careful packaging in 50 cl bottles. His philosophy rests on the conviction that the finest liqueurs are made as the finest wines are made: with exceptional fruit, precise craft, time, and patience. By producing only 60 bottles, Léon Quintier deliberately chooses excellence over quantity, authenticity over standardisation. Les Clos Vivants are proud to be among the rare addresses offering this confidential creation, in the spirit that guides every selection in the shop: discovering and sharing what Burgundy and its artisans produce that is most authentic and most precious.

Tasting and serving

This cherry liqueur is best enjoyed neat, lightly chilled between 10 and 12 °C, in a liqueur glass or tulip glass. It is the preferred ingredient for a characterful Burgundian Kir, replacing cassis, or for an artisanal cocktail based on fresh white Burgundy. In the kitchen, a few drops will enhance a homemade Black Forest cake, warm cherry clafoutis, dark chocolate fondant, or vanilla ice cream. It will also pair with striking harmony alongside an aged soft-paste cheese such as Époisses or Soumaintrain, whose power is softened by the cherry's fruited richness. Above all, it is a liqueur of sharing and memory, to open in good company, with the care and emotion that all rare handmade things deserve.