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.
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