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750ml
Bottle:
$42.17
$44.39
Aromas of pink peppercorn, fresh lime juice, white flower, and lemon cream tickle the nose. The palate veers more...
750ml
Bottle:
$51.29
$53.99
In this lowlands Tequila, fruity and peppery flavors weave harmoniously into the elongated finish. This spirit would...
750ml
Bottle:
$42.60
Rich oak, brown sugar, cherry liqueur, and black pepper notes augment the natural agave herbaceous qualities in a...
700ml
Bottle:
$28.88
$30.40
A blend of grappas from fresh multi-varietal pomace variously distilled: with pot stills, in bain-marie and in...
700ml
Bottle:
$36.79
6 bottles:
$36.00
The nose is fragrant, delicate and harmonious. On the palate, this grappa is intense and complex, but with a smooth...
750ml
Bottle:
$82.39
4 bottles:
$81.60
Complex profile with multiple nuances attributable to spicy and fruity notes with hints of vanilla, morello cherry...
700ml - Case of 4
Bottle:
$82.50
Sweet oak and cereal on the nose. Enjoyably elegant on the palate, with rich nutty and floral notes. Richly textured...
750ml
Bottle:
$37.70
$39.68
6 bottles:
$31.61
TOP 100 SPIRITS 2022. Light, fresh aromas suggest honeysuckle and a hint of pear. The palate echoes those notes,...
750ml
Bottle:
$30.10
$31.68
6 bottles:
$25.80
Look for a delicate mix of floral and tropical fruit aromas, which are echoed on the palate. Pineapple and coconut...
750ml
Bottle:
$108.29
$113.99
4 bottles:
$95.99
Soft, sweet, and smooth 100% agave tequila, aged for 8 months and packaged in an heirloom quality decanter bottle...
750ml
Bottle:
$35.34
$37.20
6 bottles:
$30.71
Pink Grapefruit infused silver tequila. A beautiful light pink liquid with sweet and tart citrus flavors layered with...
750ml
Bottle:
$45.33
$47.72
You can thank former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar for this great example of a classic añejo Tequila: fruity,...
750ml
Bottle:
$31.92
$33.60
Clear color. Aromas and flavors of roasted green pepper and nuts, spiced figs, green banana, and coconut bread with a...
750ml
Bottle:
$38.99
Watermelon, lavender, papaya, and dried herbs are all vivid on the nose. Full and round on the palate, the mouth is...
![Caffo Grappa Vecchia [Barrique] 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/27/27b3f764d9c6078ff71534c6397be9ef.jpg)
750ml
Bottle:
$26.40
12 bottles:
$22.80
Aged in oak for 12 months, this golden grappa edges close to aged brandy territory—although one sip and that grappa...
750ml
Bottle:
$71.40
$75.16
6 bottles:
$67.19
Aged in red wine barrels for 18 months, this tawny Tequila mixes vanilla, dried cherry and cinnamon aromas. The...
Grappa Lacrima Mencia Tequila
Like so many of the great spirits of Europe, Grappa was born from a need to make resources go that little bit further, to eke out the last drop of flavor and potential from the crops of winemakers. Indeed, Italian vintners invented Grappa as a way to make use of the pomace - leftover grape skins, stems, pulp and seeds - which remained after the juice was extracted from the fruit needed to make wine. Over the centuries, the process was refined, and the distillation of Grappa became an art in itself. Today, top Grappa producers use a range of state of the art equipment, from continuous stills to pot stills, to manufacture a wide variety of Grappas, each with their own distinct characteristics.
Most of us know Grappa from our local Italian restaurants, where it is commonly served as a digestif. However, in the twenty first century, there is a high interest in unique, boutique Grappas, which showcase the talent of the distillers through a range of interesting qualities. Grappa can be aged in oak, in which case it takes on a beautiful golden color, quite different from the clear Grappas we are most familiar with. The high end Grappas are a world away from the harsh spirit many of us have encountered, and have a smooth, gentle quality which can be nothing short of a revelation.
Tequila is probably Mexico’s greatest gift to the world of fine spirits, and is also possibly one of the most underestimated and misunderstood drinks in the world. Widely used for shots and slammers, and more often than not associated with parties and hangovers, Tequila is in fact a wonderful drink full of subtleties and expression of terroir, that is highly rewarding for those who look into its finer points.
One of the special things about Tequila is the fact that it is capable of expressing the fine nuances and subtle notes of its raw material, far more so than other, similar spirits. That raw material is, of course, the Blue Agave - not a cactus, as is commonly believed, but rather a succulent quite like a lily, which grows in the deserts of Mexico mainly around the province of Jalisco. The Blue Agave takes a decade to mature, and during those ten years, it takes in many of the features of its surroundings, just like a grapevine would. This is why Tequila varies in flavor and aroma from region to region, from the earthier Tequilas of the lowlands, to the more delicate and floral examples from areas of a higher altitude.
The picking and peeling of the spiky Agave, and the distillation process of Tequila is a complicated one, and one which is carried out with enormous skill by the jimadors and master craftsmen who produce the spirit. Steam cooking of the body of the plant is followed by crushing, then fermentation and distillation completes the process. The end product is categorized according to whether or not it is made with pure (‘puro’) agave, or blended with other sugars, and according to how long the spirit is aged for.