Villa Zarri Nocino 2004 - Walnut Liqueur

Description

Though it may surprise you, Italy is not just about wine, and Villa Zarri excels at an important Italian tradition few are aware of: the making of world class spirits such as Brandy. Indeed, many experts believe Villa Zarri Brandy to be the best made in Italy today.  

Villa Zarri makes its Brandy from high quality wine made from Trebbiano Toscano and Trebbiano Romagnolo, which needs to be perfectly clear, low in sulphide content (if not the distillation procedure risks bringing out unpleasant odours and flavours), high in acidity and resistant to oxidation. However, high quality grapes and wine are not enough to guarantee a world class spirit, and at Villa Zarri the all-important discontinuous distillation method is employed, using copper Charentais still that ensures a final product of much deeper, cleaner and richer aromas and flavours. The Brandy is aged in small 350 litre French oak (Limousin and Allier) barrels.

Its colour appears to be old copper with caramel shades. When it is poured into a glass, it moves slowly, thus hinting at a very rich scent. The first olfactory impression is intense but discreet, the alcohol is not aggressive and the typical sensations of husks are well defined. Later, its aromatic potential expresses itself as a more complex bouquet, containing liquorice, arugula, nutmeg and a smoked note. This bastion of traditions from Emilia conquers those who taste it thanks to its refinement and aromaticity, whereas the final taste in their mouths is long, with pleasant and enveloping husk aftertaste.