Nonino Grappa Il Merlot (700 ml)

In 1973, Giannola and Benito Nonino made a decision that rewrote Italian spirits law: they separated individual grape pomaces and distilled each variety alone, creating the Monovitigno® category from scratch — beginning with near-extinct Picolit and eventually extending to Merlot. That single act of transgression transformed grappa from a rustic farmhouse by-product into a terroir-expressive spirit with legal standing. Il Merlot Monovitigno® is distilled from 100% Merlot pomace, sourced fresh and transported to the Percoto distillery in Pavia di Udine within one hour of pressing — a non-negotiable house rule that prevents oxidation and unwanted secondary fermentation in the raw material. Fermented red pomace is distilled immediately in Benito Nonino's bespoke handcrafted copper steam discontinuous stills — batch apparatus that allows precise head-and-tail cuts impossible in continuous column distillation. Aging proceeds in small barriques drawn from Nonino's seven warehouses, which hold 2,620 casks spanning Nevers, Limousin, Grésigne oak, ex-Sherry, ex-Sauternes, Acacia, wild Cherry, Ash, and Pear wood; zero color additives are used across the entire range. What distinguishes this expression within the Monovitigno® lineup is the Merlot pomace itself: red-fermented rather than sweet, it arrives at the still already carrying developed tannin structure and dark-fruit aromatic compounds that survive distillation as a distinctly vinous, fleshy character no white-grape grappa can replicate. As a non-vintage spirit, character is consistent across releases; best appreciated neat at cellar temperature to preserve the aromatic lift from the copper distillation.