No, not grappa, I’m talking about brandy distilled from fermented grape must (i.e. wine) the same as in Cognac, Armagnac, Kentucky, etc.. Yes, of course the Italians make that. Yes, often it can be excellent.
Even as interest continues to pile into French and (to much lesser extent) American brandies, Italy remains off the radar to a large degree despite making a good bit of the stuff. And that could mean there are real values hiding out there, particularly among the older stuff. I therefore took it upon myself to try a little quartet from different regions, with nothing any less than 24 years old, to see what might be hiding out there. And then, after some consideration (you’ll see why in a minute), I split the set up into two different videos – Emilia-Romagna is coming on Friday, and today you’re getting the Piedmont and the far south. Stats:
– Dr. Mario Montanaro Aquavite di Vino 1964 (Alba, Piedmont, bottled 2008, 44 years old; 40% ABV), 87+/100
– Heritage Caffo “Extra” 46 Year Old Brandy Riserva 1970 (Sicily/Campania; L. 09421001; 42% ABV), 84⚠/100
Not a lot of further information on these two, except that the former comes from a distillery more famous for its grappas while the latter comes from a distillery more famous for its amaros – and you kinda get that in how they behave. The Montanaro is something I scored from West Lakeview Liquors up here in Chicago, who seems to have bought the whole lot (note: their website gets the ABV wrong), and it reaaally comes across like there might have been skin contact involved or even some pomace going into the still. Lame presentation aside, I absolutely love it. Meanwhile the more budget-friendly Caffo is, well, not at all what you might expect from an old brandy – whence the caution indicator in the score – but it makes for a hell of a digestif. Both are tons of fun and very, very different from what you might be expecting from an old wine-based brandy. And if you’re looking for something more on the straight and narrow, well, tune in in a few days…