Cuvée Millesimata 2021: three grapes, one Nonino grappa
Malvasia, Friulano and Moscato in a harmonious unaged cuvée at 40% vol.
Moscato Bianco in Piedmont before veraison, June 2011. Megan Mallen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. This illustrates one grape in the cuvée, not the origin of the 2021 batch.
Megan Mallen · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · Original document
Distilled separately, blended afterwards
Nonino’s guide describes Cuvée Millesimata as a meeting of Malvasia, Friulano and Moscato grappas. Each pomace is distilled separately before blending. The process is therefore different from simply mixing several grapes together and distilling them as one.
The bottle on our menu carries the 2021 vintage and is 40% vol. This unaged grappa brings together the aromatic characters of the grapes in its blend.
What harmony means on the palate
The producer emphasises an expressive nose, a supple palate and an elegant whole. Blending brings the varietal characters together in a coherent expression.
The blend is best understood as a whole. Its coherence, mouthfeel and the way its nuances interact matter as much as the list of grape varieties. That approach invites comparison with the overall impression of the house’s individual expressions.
A different way to read Monovitigno
We serve a 4 cl measure. Cuvée, vintage 2021, supple, unaged grappa and Nonino are useful terms for finding it in the menu search.
Monovitigno here describes the individually distilled grappas used in the cuvée. The word does not require the final glass to contain only one grape variety. Comparing it with the house’s individual expressions reveals the work of blending.
Sources and further reading
Nonino: guide to the culture of distillation
Original photographic document
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Moscato Bianco: an aromatic grape →
