Once, the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio suggested Italianising the French word Cognac into something more native: Acquarzente, later shortened to Arzente. Poli embraced the name and built a brandy that insists on being Italian down to the last detail, from the grape to the final year in oak.
Expert's Description
Poli Arzente Italiano Brandy is an Italian Brandy from the Jacopo Poli distillery, bottled at 40%.
Behind the bottle stands the Poli family, who have distilled in Schiavon near Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto since 1898, one of Italy's most respected regions for grape distillates. Across four generations the family has kept faith with an old copper alembic, one of the few of its kind still in use, giving the distillates their characteristic balance of power and elegance.
Arzente is made from 100% Trebbiano grapes and sets itself apart from the house's better-known grappa by being a grape brandy in the Cognac style rather than a pomace distillate. The name Arzente comes from an old Italian term that, according to tradition, dates back to the time of Catherine de' Medici, when a similar distillate was used as a fortifying drink.
The brandy is aged for a full ten years, spread across French Limousin casks, French Allier oak and Slovenian oak, a combination that gives it the layered depth the house is known for.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Vanilla, warm spice and dried fruit, with an underlying sweetness from the years spent in oak.
Palate
Round and elegant, with a pleasant warmth and a ripe, grape-driven sweetness that stays balanced without turning heavy.
Finish
Long, with a final trace of spiced wood and a gentle, lingering warmth.
Specifications
Name: Poli Arzente Italiano Brandy
Producer: Jacopo Poli
Country: Italy
Type: Italian Brandy
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Limousin, French Allier and Slovenian oak casks
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed slowly as a digestif, at room temperature in a small brandy glass after a meal.
Flavour Profile
Vanilla · Spice · Dried Fruit · Gentle Warmth
Did You Know?
Did you know the name Arzente comes from an old Italian term for grape brandy, once proposed by the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio as an Italian alternative to the French word Cognac?
