Quintessentia Riserva: bitterness meets wood
A Nonino amaro at 35% vol., matured for more than twenty-four months.
Casks photographed at Nonino in Percoto, 2025. Naturpuur, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. An illustration of maturation at the distillery; no particular cask of this release is identified in the picture.
Naturpuur · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original document · CC BY-SA 4.0
A return to small casks
The Riserva recalls a chapter in the family’s history. Antonio Nonino kept the original Amaro Carnia in small casks when stainless steel was expensive. Contact with wood changed the infusion. The house presents this reserve as a return to that practice.
Quintessentia combines herbs, spices, fruits, berries and roots, enriched with matured ÙE grape spirit. This version of the amaro itself spends more than twenty-four months in oak barriques and small casks under customs supervision.
An unusual aromatic journey
Autumn woodland and moss begin an unexpected sequence, followed by sultanas and dried-grape impressions. The palate is particularly supple: rhubarb bitterness meets flambéed orange and caramelised vanilla.
Balsamic freshness maintains the balance and accompanies a long finish. Roundness, bitterness and freshness can therefore be experienced together. The menu’s sensory levels help explain that combination rather than reducing the amaro to one simple word.
Searching more precisely
We offer a 4 cl measure at 35% vol. Amaro, woody, woodland, rhubarb, flambéed orange, vanilla and balsamic are useful terms for locating it.
Classic Quintessentia remains another reference point in our selection. The Riserva develops its own mouthfeel and a profile more strongly shaped by the time spent in wood, while remaining recognisably an amaro.
Sources and further reading
Original photographic document
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