A cellar in Jerez de la Frontera holding 40,000 casks, a dizzying aroma of resting sherry, and a grappa maker who could not resist asking whether anyone would notice if a couple went missing.

Expert description

Poli Due Barili Jacopo Grappa is an Italian Grappa at 40% from Poli Distillerie in Schiavon, Veneto, distilled from the marc of grapes used for Prosecco wine.

The name "Due Barili" — two casks — comes from Jacopo Poli's visit to Bodegas Williams & Humbert in Jerez de la Frontera, where, after tasting his way through fino, amontillado and oloroso sherry, he chose to bring some of the characteristic Botas casks home to Schiavon. The casks, which had previously held a sweet, thick sherry made from the Pedro Ximénez grape, were set to enrich the grappa with their own aromatic compounds.

After gentle steam distillation, the spirit matures in the underground cellars in Schiavon, where the sherry casks lend a deeper, more complex structure than the grappa's plain Prosecco marc would otherwise have given it.

Tasting notes

Nose

Milk chocolate together with raisins and toasted hazelnuts, with a sweet hint of sherry in the background.

Palate

Full and round, mirroring the nutty chocolate character of the nose, carried by a gentle sweetness from the sherry maturation.

Finish

Long and warm, with a lingering touch of raisins and toasted nuts.

Specifications

Name: Poli Due Barili Jacopo Grappa
Distillery: Poli Distillerie
Region/Country: Veneto, Italy
Type: Italian Grappa
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 cl
Cask type: Sherry (Pedro Ximénez)
Distillation method: Steam distillation
EAN no.: 8014115001731
Serving suggestion: 18-20°C in a tulip-shaped glass

Flavour profile

Milk chocolate · Raisins · Toasted hazelnuts · Sherry sweetness · Warm finish

Did you know?

The cellar at Bodegas Williams & Humbert in Jerez de la Frontera holds around 40,000 sherry casks spread across an area equal to 25 football pitches, and it was here that Jacopo Poli found the inspiration for Due Barili.

Shop our full range of Poli

Four small bottles, four very different stories. From young and fresh to cask-aged and, finally, sweet — Esperienza Mignon is a quick tour through Poli's stylistic range without having to open a whole shelf of full-size bottles.

Expert description

Poli Esperienza Mignon Grappa Tasting Set is a collection of four 5 cl miniature bottles from Poli Distillerie in Schiavon, Veneto, with an alcohol content that varies between 30% and 40% depending on the individual bottle. The set contains Sarpa di Poli, PO di Poli Morbida, Cleopatra Amarone Oro and Poli Elisir Camomilla.

The three grappas each represent a different category within Poli's range: a young, direct grappa, a softer and rounder style, and a cask-aged grappa made from the marc of the Amarone grapes Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Elisir Camomilla, by contrast, is a sweeter chamomile liqueur that shows an entirely different side of the distillery.

Because the contents span several distillation methods and cask types, the set is meant as an introduction — a chance to taste through Poli's philosophy of gentle, steam-heated distillation before settling on a favourite full-size bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

A range from fresh grapes and white flowers in the young grappa to toasted almonds and ripe red berries in the cask-aged one, while the chamomile liqueur offers honey and dried herbs.

Palate

From the crisp, clean fullness of the young grappa, via the soft, almost velvety structure of the Morbida style, to the warm, nutty sweetness of the Amarone expression.

Finish

Short and clean in the young styles, longer and warmer in the cask-aged one, while the liqueur closes gently and aromatically with chamomile and honey.

Specifications

Name: Poli Esperienza Mignon Grappa Tasting Set
Distillery: Poli Distillerie
Region/Country: Veneto, Italy
Type: Italian Grappa
ABV: 30-40%
Size: 4x5 cl
Serving suggestion: 10-18°C in a tulip-shaped glass, one style at a time

Flavour profile

Fresh grapes · Toasted almonds · Red berries · Honey · Chamomile

Did you know?

Poli traditionally divides its grappa range into three main categories — young, soft and cask-aged — and the Esperienza set is put together so you get to taste all three categories in a single pack, alongside a liqueur.

Shop our full range of Poli

In 1993, a young grappa distiller from Veneto turned up at one of Tuscany's most celebrated wine estates with an unusual request: could he distil their leftover pomace? The answer set off a friendship between two families — and the grappa in front of you, packed together with two hand-blown glasses, ready to be given away.

Expert description

Poli Grappa di Sassicaia Giftbox is an Italian Grappa distilled from Sassicaia wine pomace and presented in a wooden box together with two hand-blown crystal glasses, bottled at 40%.

The grappa comes from Poli Distillerie in Schiavon near Bassano del Grappa, where the Poli family has distilled since 1898. Jacopo Poli now runs the distillery together with his siblings Giampaolo, Barbara and Andrea, and it was Jacopo himself who, in 1993, was given permission by Marchese Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta to distil the pomace left over from Sassicaia — one of Italy's most celebrated red wines, made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grown at Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri, Tuscany.

The pomace is distilled in Poli's own copper stills using a discontinuous method, with the still heated by steam rather than direct flame — a technique the family patented themselves, and one that protects the grappa's floral character better than traditional heating. The grappa then matures in barrique for several years before moving into the old oak casks that once held the Sassicaia wine itself. That final finishing step is what gives the grappa its depth and a trace of the wine's own structure.

This edition is packed in a solid wooden box together with two hand-blown crystal glasses, ready to be given as a gift — or enjoyed as an occasion in itself.

Tasting notes

Nose

Delicate and floral at first, quickly opening into dried fruit, vanilla, cocoa and a touch of roasted coffee. Dark berries such as blackcurrant and blueberry sit underneath.

Palate

Full-bodied and almost wine-like on the palate, with spirit-soaked fruit, sweet spice and a roasted, almost coffee-like depth.

Finish

Long, soft and elegant, closing on a rounded, wine-like tail that lingers well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Poli Grappa di Sassicaia Giftbox
Distillery: Poli Distillerie
Region/Country: Veneto, Italy (pomace from Bolgheri, Tuscany)
Type: Italian Grappa
ABV: 40%
Size: 50 CL
Cask type: Barrique, followed by ex-Sassicaia oak casks
Distillation method: Discontinuous steam distillation in copper stills
Edition: Gift box with 2 hand-blown crystal glasses
Serving suggestion: Best served at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass, as a digestif with dark chocolate or a cup of black coffee.

Flavour profile

Wine-like · Fruity · Spiced · Creamy · Woody

Did you know?

Sassicaia is the only estate in Italy with its own dedicated appellation — Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC, named after this single property. That is a status normally reserved for entire regions, not individual producers.

Shop our full range of Poli Grappa

"Sarpa" simply means "marc" in the Venetian dialect — a modest name for a grappa that over 30 years has grown from an everyday product into one of the most respected symbols of Italian grappa in the world.

Expert description

Poli Sarpa Oro Grappa 30° Anniversario 1991-2021 Special Edition is an Italian Grappa at 40% from Poli Distillerie in Schiavon, Veneto, distilled from the marc of the grapes Merlot and Cabernet.

Sarpa Oro was born in 1991 and this edition celebrates 30 years in Poli's range, from 1991 to 2021. The grappa is distilled through gentle steam distillation and then patiently matured in the underground cellars in Schiavon, where the distillery holds nearly 4,000 225-litre oak barriques used to age its cask-matured grappas.

The long maturation gives Sarpa Oro a depth and complexity far removed from a young, unaged grappa, and Poli itself considers it one of the most complete expressions of how grappa has evolved from a popular product into an international symbol of Italian craftsmanship.

Tasting notes

Nose

A basket of exotic fruits meets vanilla, almonds and toasted hazelnuts.

Palate

Full and warm, mirroring the fruity, nutty character of the nose, carried by a gentle sweetness from the oak.

Finish

Long and round, with a lingering aftertaste of toasted hazelnuts and vanilla.

Specifications

Name: Poli Sarpa Oro Grappa 30° Anniversario 1991-2021 Special Edition
Distillery: Poli Distillerie
Region/Country: Veneto, Italy
Type: Italian Grappa
ABV: 40%
Cask type: Oak barrels (225-litre barriques)
Distillation method: Steam distillation
Edition: 30° Anniversario, 1991-2021
EAN no.: 8014115000505
Serving suggestion: 18-20°C in a tulip-shaped glass

Flavour profile

Exotic fruits · Vanilla · Almonds · Toasted hazelnuts · Round sweetness

Did you know?

Poli Distillerie keeps nearly 4,000 casks of 225 litres in its underground cellars, where grappas such as Sarpa Oro mature for years before becoming ready to celebrate anniversaries such as this 30-year edition.

Shop our full range of Poli

Since 1973, the Sommeliers collection has set the standard for what a spirits glass can do for the aroma in the glass. This edition is shaped specifically for grappa - and nothing else.

Expert description

Riedel Sommeliers Grappa 4200/03 is a handmade crystal glass from the Sommeliers collection, designed specifically for grappa and marc.

The glass belongs to Riedel's Sommeliers collection, introduced by Claus J. Riedel in 1973 as the world's first glass series designed to highlight the character of individual drinks. Every glass in the collection is handmade from crystal glass following the same principles still used today under Maximilian J. Riedel.

The grappa glass has an egg-shaped bowl with a narrowed rim that holds onto the grappa's volatile aromas and softens the sharp alcohol sensation. The result is that floral and fruity notes reach the nose instead of raw spirit.

Specifications

Name: Riedel Sommeliers Grappa
Manufacturer: Riedel
Material: Crystal glass, handmade
Suitable for: Grappa and marc
Number in set: 1 piece
Dishwasher safe: Yes
Size/volume: 110 ml, height 20 cm

Did you know?

Did you know that the Sommeliers collection from 1973 was the world's first glass series where every single glass was shaped for one specific drink instead of being a single all-purpose glass?

Shop our full range of Riedel

Vernaccia is a grape found almost nowhere outside the area around Oristano in Sardinia, and for generations the Carta family has distilled its pomace into a grappa that carries the island's dry, salty character.

Expert description

Silvio Carta Grappa di Vernaccia Invecchiata is an Italian Grappa from Sardinia, matured in chestnut casks and bottled at 40% ABV.

The grappa is distilled from pomace of the vernaccia grape, a variety grown almost exclusively around the Oristano area of Sardinia. The bottle comes from the Silvio Carta distillery in Zeddiani, founded in the early 1950s by Silvio Carta and led since 1972 by his son Elio Carta.

After distillation, the grappa is matured in Sardinian chestnut casks, some of them over a hundred years old and previously used to age vernaccia wine. The long contact with the old wood gives the grappa its amber colour and a depth a young, clear grappa could never reach.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers chestnut honey and toasted almonds, with a touch of butter, coffee and preserved quince.

Palate

The palate is intense and enveloping, moving from a faintly briny, salty note toward a dry, bitter-almond finish.

Finish

The finish is long and dry, with almond and a last hint of coffee.

Specifications

Name: Silvio Carta Grappa di Vernaccia Invecchiata
Distillery: Silvio Carta
Region/Country: Sardinia, Italy
Type: Italian Grappa
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 cl
Cask type: Sardinian chestnut casks, previously used for vernaccia wine
Serving suggestion: Serve at room temperature in a grappa glass, ideally as a digestif

Flavour profile

Amber · Nutty · Salty · Intense · Dry

Did you know?

Did you know that some of the chestnut casks Silvio Carta uses to mature its grappa originally spent over a hundred years ageing vernaccia wine before being put to use for the grappa?

Shop our full range of Silvio Carta Grappa

Some grappas are left to rest for years. This one is bottled as exactly what it is straight off the still — clean, cold and full of the fresh scent of freshly pressed grapes from Sardinia's sun-baked vineyards.

Expert description

Silvio Carta Grappa Fresca is an Italian Grappa distilled from Sardinian grape pomace and bottled clear and uncoloured at 40%.

The grappa is distilled from fresh pomace, and unlike the house's cask-aged bottlings, it never touches wood. Instead, it moves straight from discontinuous, low-temperature copper-still distillation into the bottle, keeping the grape's fresh fruit character fully intact.

Silvio Carta has distilled on Sardinia since the early 1950s, when the family was first known for its Vernaccia di Oristano wine. From 2013, the house committed fully to distilling both grappa and gin, and Grappa Fresca is the simplest expression of that shift: a grappa with nothing to hide behind, showing the raw material exactly as it is.

Tasting notes

Nose

Clean and direct, with fresh grapes, white flowers and a touch of almond.

Palate

Dry and well balanced on the palate, with a gentle warmth and a natural grape character that never turns sharp.

Finish

Short to medium, crisp and clean, closing on a last note of spice.

Specifications

Name: Silvio Carta Grappa Fresca
Distillery: Silvio Carta
Region/Country: Sardinia, Italy
Type: Italian Grappa
ABV: 40%
Size: 50 CL
Distillation method: Discontinuous low-temperature distillation in copper stills
Serving suggestion: Best served lightly chilled in a tulip-shaped glass, as a digestif or alongside fresh cheeses and light desserts.

Flavour profile

Fresh · Fruity · Floral · Clean · Mild

Did you know?

Grappa Fresca is the closest Silvio Carta comes to the raw material itself: no cask ageing and no added colour, just Sardinian grapes distilled and bottled almost exactly as they leave the still.

Shop our full range of Silvio Carta

Sardinia has a habit of putting everything it grows into a bottle — sun, wind, the scent of wild myrtle carried on Mediterranean air. In an old chestnut cask in Zeddiani, what is left of the Vernaccia grape harvest is quietly turning into something amber and slow.

Expert description

Silvio Carta Grappa Invecchiata is an Italian Grappa distilled from Vernaccia grape pomace and aged in Sardinian chestnut casks, bottled at 40%.

The raw material is exclusively the pressed skins and seeds left over from Vernaccia grapes, and distillation follows a discontinuous, low-temperature method in copper stills — an approach Silvio Carta committed to fully from 2013, when the family set out to draw the most out of both grapes and juniper across their range. After distillation, the grappa rests in small Sardinian chestnut casks, some of them over a hundred years old and previously used for decades to age Vernaccia wine. That long contact with old wood is what gives the grappa its amber colour and a depth rarely found in unaged versions.

Elio Carta, son of founder Silvio Carta, has led the distillery since 1972, and the guiding idea has not changed: let Sardinia's land, time and craftsmanship speak through every glass.

Tasting notes

Nose

Chestnut honey and toasted almonds open the glass, quickly followed by amaretto and a touch of butter. Underneath sits a candied, almost quince-like sweetness and a hint of fresh coffee.

Palate

Intense and enveloping on the palate, with a saline, almost sea-air character that gives way to bitter almonds and warm spice. The texture is full without turning heavy.

Finish

Long and warm, closing on toasted wood and one last note of honey that lingers well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Silvio Carta Grappa Invecchiata
Distillery: Silvio Carta
Region/Country: Sardinia, Italy
Type: Italian Grappa
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sardinian chestnut casks, some over a hundred years old, previously used for Vernaccia wine
Distillation method: Discontinuous low-temperature distillation in copper stills
EAN no.: 8005765969441
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at 12-14 degrees in a tulip-shaped glass, as a digestif or alongside dark chocolate and toasted almonds.

Flavour profile

Sweet · Nutty · Spiced · Woody · Round

Did you know?

Some of the chestnut casks used to age this grappa previously held Vernaccia wine for decades and are themselves over a hundred years old. The old wood is as much a part of the recipe as the grape itself.

Shop our full range of Silvio Carta

In a field near Kolding lies Denmark's only wine appellation, and it's also home to some of the country's most personal spirits: a clear grape brandy with a single vine sprig tucked inside the bottle as its only source of colour.

Expert description

Skærsøgaard Druebrændevin 2012 is a Danish Grape Brandy, distilled from grape pomace left over from winemaking and bottled at 40% ABV.

The bottle comes from Skærsøgaard Vin in Dons near Kolding, Denmark's first officially approved vineyard and part of the country's only protected wine region. Owned by Sven Moesgaard, the vineyard has distilled grape and fruit brandy since the mid-2000s on a 255-litre German copper still alongside its wine production.

This edition is a micro-distillate of pressed grape residue from the rondo grape, vintage 2012, with only 399 bottles filled. The brandy is not cask matured; the faint golden tint in the glass comes from a small vine sprig placed inside each bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is clean and grapey, with a touch of skin-fruit character and a light, herbal freshness.

Palate

The palate is soft and aromatic, reminiscent of a young, clear grappa, with clear grape character and a light peppery warmth.

Finish

The finish is short and clean, with a last hint of grape sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Skærsøgaard Druebrændevin 2012
Distillery: Skærsøgaard Vin
Region/Country: Denmark
Type: Danish Grape Brandy
ABV: 40%
Size: 35 cl
Distilled: 2012
Number of bottles: 399
Serving suggestion: Serve chilled as a digestif or alongside a tart fruit dessert

Did you know?

Did you know that rondo, the grape behind this brandy, is a red hybrid variety bred to withstand the Danish climate, and is also used in several of Skærsøgaard's red wines?

Shop our full range of Skærsøgaard Brandy

South of Rome, where the Trappist monks of Tre Fontane Abbey once planted eucalyptus trees to drain a marshy, malaria-ridden landscape, a distinct tradition of liqueur and grappa-making took root. In this bottle, a whole eucalyptus leaf sits visibly in the liquid.

Expert description

Tre Fontane Grappa Chardonnay All Eucalyptus is an Italian Grappa at 40% ABV, distilled from the pomace of Chardonnay grapes and flavoured with eucalyptus leaves by the Trappist monks of Abbazia delle Tre Fontane south of Rome.

The abbey's historic distillery, the Liquorificio dell'Abbazia Tre Fontane, dates back to 1873, when the monks began putting to use the eucalyptus trees they had planted around 1870 to drain the marshy, malaria-ridden land surrounding the abbey. Turning eucalyptus into liqueurs and extracts has remained part of the abbey's production ever since.

For this grappa, the monks select the pomace from Chardonnay grapes themselves, which is distilled and then infused with eucalyptus leaves from the abbey's own trees. A whole leaf is left inside the bottle as a visible mark of the method, and the result is a grappa where balsamic eucalyptus notes meet the soft, delicate character of the Chardonnay pomace.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is fresh and balsamic with clear eucalyptus, supported by a delicate, lightly floral undercurrent from the Chardonnay grape.

Palate

The palate is soft and clean with a cooling, menthol-like sensation that glides elegantly alongside the grappa's natural grape sweetness.

Finish

The finish is fresh and relatively short, with a lingering, cleansing eucalyptus note.

Specifications

Name: Tre Fontane Grappa Chardonnay All Eucalyptus
Distillery: Tre Fontane
Region/Country: Lazio, Italy
Type: Italian Grappa
ABV: 40%
Size: 50 cl
Serving suggestion: Serve chilled in a narrow glass, ideally as a digestif after a meal.

Flavour profile

Eucalyptus · Menthol · Floral · Fresh · Cleansing

Did you know?

The monks at Tre Fontane originally planted eucalyptus trees to drain the land around the abbey and combat malaria - today the same trees form the basis of the abbey's signature liqueurs and this grappa.