Nonino Ue Moscato Cru (500 ml)

In 1984, Giannola Nonino and her husband Benito made a decision that had no legal precedent: they distilled whole Moscato grapes — skins, pulp, and juice together — rather than pomace alone, creating a spirit Italian law had no name for. The family lobbied until Acquavite d'Uva ÙE® became a recognized Italian category, and this 1990 expression from the Buttrio Cru vineyard in Friuli-Venezia Giulia is among the earliest surviving evidence of that invention. The 40-hectare Buttrio site supplies Moscato grapes fermented under vacuum in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks before distillation in handcrafted copper steam discontinuous stills — a batch method that allows precise head-and-tail cuts impossible in continuous column distillation. Aging proceeds in small casks drawn from Nevers, Limousin, Grésigne oak, ex-Sherry, ex-Sauternes, Acacia, wild Cherry, Ash, and Pear wood, with zero color additives at any stage. What separates ÙE® from grappa categorically is the inclusion of grape juice in distillation, pushing aromatic density closer to Cognac-style eau-de-vie while retaining the varietal transparency Nonino built its reputation on. At over three decades of bottle age from a 1990 distillation, this expression occupies territory no current-release Nonino can replicate.