A golden amber that deepens with time, these aged grappas present full-bodied but elegant notes of tobacco, leather, vanilla, dry fruit and chocolate. The 15 and 20 year old grappas wear their age gracefully, displaying nuanced tones of sweet, dried fruit with hints of tar, licorice, and almonds.

Founded in 1977 in Alba, Italy, proprietor and head distiller Paolo Marolo creates his eponymous grappas by following two simple rules: source superior, single varietal pomace and press it as soon as possible. Freshness is so essential to Paolo that he keeps his discontinuous "Bain Marie” copper stills running around the clock during the harvest season. The discontinuous distillation method is traditional to the area and one favored by small producers because it allows them to manually control the pace and evolution of the distillation. Over the years, Paolo has successfully developed key relationships with wineries throughout Italy to secure the finest pomace for Grappa Marolo. His attention to detail has become legendary and as such he is considered a Master Grappaioli.

Technical notes

Made from vintage Barolo Nebbiolo pomace, these grappas mature in 2,000-3,000 liter Italian oak barrels. After three years, they are transferred to neutral 60 gallon barriques. The 15 and the 20 year grappa receive additional aging in neutral, 380 liter acacia barrels.

Producer

1977, Paolo Marolo's first grappas were produced from the desire to transform a traditional, often rustic product into an example of the distiller's art. Since that time he has consistently worked with the pomaces of noble grape varieties from the renowned wine regions of Italy. Marolo's Santa Teresa distillery works closely with wineries in various regions to ensure that only the freshest pomace is used. Two small discontinuous "bain marie" stills are employed, one for white wine pomace and the other for the red wine pomace. This method of production means that Santa Teresa cannot distill large quantities of spirits, but it allows Marolo to capture the diverse and well-defined characteristics of the excellent raw materials he uses.