FIVE OF THE BEST: GRAPPAS
Grappa is a fragrant Italian spirit made from the grape solids left over from wine production, known as marc or pomace. There are about 130 distillers making grappa, primarily in the north – the Veneto region is the heartland of grappa production.
Traditionally consumed as a young white spirit, quality has improved drastically in recent decades. Today’s examples are characterful and represent a wide variety of styles. To reflect this, there are nine IGTs for grappa, as well as regulated age designations: affinata, which spends a maximum of 12 months in barrel; invecchiata or vecchia, aged for 12-18 months in barrel; and stravecchia or riserva, with a minimum of 18 months in barrel.
The traditional Venetian way to enjoy grappa is known as resentin (‘rinsed’): a late-morning pick-me-up or post-prandial of a few drops of grappa sloshed around an almost-drained espresso cup. More complex, wood-aged examples call for sipping on their own or even with a cigar.
Antinori Tignanello
£41.45-£66/50cl Drink Finder, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism, Hic, The Whisky Exchange
An assemblage of marcs from the best lots of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese grown in the famous Tignanello vineyard in Tuscany. Grape, pear and cream aromas are lifted by a hint of ripe raspberry. The intense, robust palate features some peachy, floral notes expanding from a lightly nutty, grapey core, with licks of red fruit. A very long, delicious finish of subtle red fruits and cream. Alcohol 42%
Cocchi Grappa Dorée
£49/70cl Highbury Vintners
Cocchi, based in Asti, Piedmont, produces a range of vermouths, wines and grappas. This grappa is made from Moscato from a single vineyard and aged for at least three years in oak barrels. It has a lovely peachy, yellow fruit nose with medicinal and wood-polish hints. Resinous, piney and creamy, the palate features intense, sweet yellow fruits with a finish of peach skin, nuts and pear. Smooth and vibrant. Alc 40%
Marolo Grappa di Barolo 12 Year Old
£69-£74.65/70cl Amathus, Laurence Smith & Son Distilled in 2007 in Alba, Piedmont, then aged for 12 years in small oak and acacia barrels, this grappa takes you on a journey: from woody, peppery and tobacco-infused scents to an intense, warm palate with subtle hedgerow fruits enveloped by rich, toasty, spicy oak and a streak of caramelised nuts. Fresh and well balanced with a rich tobacco finish, this is an ideal sipper. Alc 50%
Nardini Extrafina
£50.33-£53.75/70cl Master of Malt,
The Whisky Exchange
In 1779, Bortolo Nardini was the first person to establish a permanent grappa distillery, in a converted osteria in Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto. The company’s grappas are still held up as shining examples today, and this white grappa blows any modern misconceptions out of the water: its sweet and floral fragrance with subtle grape and pear notes leads to an intense palate with impressive clarity. Rich cream in the background is layered with soft pear, yellow fruits, melon and a touch of sweet spice. Smooth, round and moreish, this is a superb white grappa – the perfect aperitif? Alc 42%
Poli Barrique Solera di Famiglia 18-98
N/A UK www.poligrappa.com
The 18-98 Family Solera was founded at Poli Distillerie in 2001, using seven barrels of grappa kept aside each year until 2014. The youngest spirit has a minimum ageing of 18 months in barrique and there are 98 barriques in total, hence the name. Bottled in 2018, this release has scents of furniture polish, spicy cedar wood, coffee beans and orange peel, which are joined in the mouth by nutty notes laced with juicy orange, coffee, cigar tobacco, savoury spices and wood, with a slightly resinous note at the end. Orange veers into fudgy toffee on the very long finish. Alc 55% D