Fittingly, the taste of Grey Goose Le Citron is bright and elegant. Each year, the French provincial town of Menton blooms with color in celebration of the lemon harvest. Due to the volatility of the lemon oils, a specific filtration process is required to ensure stability. The Maitre de Chai masterfully crafts Grey Goose Le Citron Flavored Vodka using the subtle, tart flavor that can only be drawn from the Menton Lemon. Initial blending with Grey Goose takes place at the flavour house. The results of the two processes, maceration and oil extraction, are combined to create the specified flavour profile.
This reduces the boiling point so less heat is required thus ensuring the fruits - fresh, natural flavours are retained in the essential oil extract. The essential oils are distilled twice using a vacuum distillation process - at pressures as much as 1,000 times lower than natural atmospheric pressure. The fruit is then sprayed with cold water to remove the delicate essential oils while still at their freshest. The essential oils are extracted from the lemons harvested in Argentina and Brazil by gently rolling the entire lemon on a metal plate which pierces the fruit, removes the peel and cuts it open. The resulting juice has a flavour that is unique to Menton - very floral with a subtle bitterness. This kicks off at the end of February and sees the town filled with fantastical fruit statues and a citrus carnival attracting more than 200,000 people (The Menton lemons are washed by hand, cut into eight pieces and then macerated for two weeks. The region celebrates its lemon harvest during its annual lemon festival: 'la Fête du Citron'. The Menton lemons are harvested from February to May in the town of Menton on the Côte d'Azur where the micro climate produces exceptionally aromatic lemons.