In the old cellars of Bologna, where Vecchia Romagna has been ageing its brandies since 1820, one bottle brings together three different cask types in a single blend. Riserva Tre Botti isn't just another Italian brandy – it's the house's signature method, distilled into a single glass.
Expert Description
Vecchia Romagna Riserva Tre Botti is an Italian Brandy aged in French oak barriques, large Slovenian oak casks and casks that previously held Italian red wine, bottled at 40.8%. The brandy is distilled from Trebbiano grapes using a method that combines continuous column distillation with discontinuous Charentais pot still distillation, and it carries the name Vecchia Romagna – "the old Romagna" – used by the house since 1939. The story goes back further still: the distillery was founded in 1820 by the French émigré Jean Buton, whose family had produced spirits in France until the fall of Napoleon. In Bologna, he built his own distillery and laid the foundation for what is today Italy's best-selling brandy. Since 1999, the house has belonged to Gruppo Montenegro.
What makes Tre Botti special is exactly the three casks in its name. The small French barriques give structure and a distinct woody character. The large Slovenian oak casks soften the brandy and give it a rounder body. And the casks from Italian red wine production add the brandy's signature fruitiness and velvety softness. Spirits aged up to 15 years go into the blend, and the result is a brandy that brings power and gentleness together at once – a familiar profile for anyone who knows the house's wider Riserva range, but with a character entirely its own.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Dried fruit and roasted hazelnuts meet sweet notes of cinnamon and tropical fruit, with a hint of apricot in the background.
Palate
Soft and rounded, with caramel, vanilla and raisins up front, backed by roasted hazelnut and a spiced kick of cinnamon and clove.
Finish
Long and full, with candied apricot, orange peel, honey and spiced oak that fade into dark chocolate and a final note of freshly brewed coffee.
Specifications
Name: Vecchia Romagna Riserva Tre Botti
Distillery: Vecchia Romagna
Region/Country: Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Type: Italian Brandy
ABV: 40.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: French oak barrique, Slovenian oak cask and cask that previously held Italian red wine
Non-chill filtered: No
Natural colour: No
Distillation method: Combination of continuous column distillation and discontinuous Charentais pot still distillation
EAN no.: 8000330126090
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a brandy glass, as a fitting close to a good dinner or alongside black coffee
Flavour Profile
Fruity · Spiced · Oak-aged · Soft and rounded
Did You Know?
Vecchia Romagna was originally called "Cognac Buton" – Jean Buton simply called his brandy cognac, as was common practice outside France at the time. It wasn't until 1939, when protection of the term "Cognac" was enforced more strictly internationally, that the house had to find a new name and settled on Vecchia Romagna, the same year the triangular bottle was introduced.
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