These notes were taken over the course of about a week, two bottles at a time, so not a direct comparison of all of them but close.

Villa de Varda Grappa di Gewurztraminer Monovitigno (40%)

Unaged.

N: half-baked challah bread, pepper, shampoo,  bubble blowing liquid

P: oily feel, but too softened by low proof. Sweet and soapy, elderflower, sweet green peppers

83

Villa de Varda Grappa di Pinot Nero Monovitigno (40%)

Unaged.

N: whole grain bread, nuts and seeds, honey, dried red berries

P: soft, warm, sweet, red-fruited and flowered, a bit of cinnamon, and again both oily and underproofed

82

Villa de Varda Grappa Moscato Riserva (40%)

N: soap, orange peel and orange blossom, sesame seed bun, a hint of clove

P: very clear muscat character, sticky soapy orange for days. Saffron, honey, a pleasant bitterness, reminds me of Amaro Montenegro more than anything

83

Villa de Varda Grappa Riserva Pinot Nero single cask #52 (40%)

N: Ceylon cinnamon, mossy earth, cherry

P: lots of sweet, red character: maraschino cherries and cherry cordials or just-baked cherry chocolate scones, Fireball candy, some earthy peppercorn too, which becomes fresh and anisey on the finish. Like all the Villa de Varda bottles I have, this leans soft and sweet and I wish it were higher proof, but it drinks better at 40% than most of them

85

Villa de Varda Grappa Barolo Botti Massolino (40%)

Aged five years in Botti from Massolino.

N: Nebbiolo just seems to balance all the elements of a good aged pomace brandy: baked bread, dried flowers, toasted seeds and sweet whole spices, a drizzle of honey

P: less well defined than the nose, but still a nice mix of bakery and seeds and spices and flowers. Like all the Villa de Varda it’s fairly sweet and probably dosed, but that bothers me less than the low proof

84

Villa de Varda Grappa Brunello Barrique Castello Romitorio (40%)

Aged five years in barriques from Castello Romitorio.

N: more robust and grain spiced then the Massolino, fleshier oak tannins (and considerably darker color) which makes sense for the difference between botti and barrique. But less pretty and aromatically complex, the flowers and most of the spices are gone and the emphasis is all on seedy bread crust

P: decidedly darker and more structured than the Massolino. The actual sweetness is roughly similar but it’s more balanced here by oak and toasty crust

82

Villa de Varda Grappa Müller Thurgau Stravecchia Roncola (40%)

Aged in barrique.

N: preserved lemon, mandarin, furniture store, and something fainter like coffee grounds or bread crust

P: enters soft, sweet, and very citrusy, bright lemon and orange. Spice (sandalwood, nutmeg, pepper) enters on the mid palate. Finishes sweet and simple, lemon candy

81