‘…my desert island grappa…’ Jan Konetzki, Sommelier.

We are surrounded by an idyllic landscape that manages to be both beautiful and ideal for the cultivation of expressive fruit. Just two dozen miles from the distillery on the lime rich soils of Newent we have wonderful partners in the Three Choirs Vineyard.

Here they grow the largest collection of Siegerrebe grapes, a cross between Gewürztraminer and Madeleine Angevine, in the UK. The grapes are pressed before the skins are immediatley transfered to the distillery, as with the highest quality grappa and marcs, to ferment and capture all of their incredible essence. The skins are gently rehydrated and transferred by hand to fill our small bain marie still. Low yielding and laborious, the results however are worth it.

Inhaling we have lychees and rose water, delicate herbaceous notes, sultanas with touches of peach. Soft, floral and very perfumed. On the palate it is full and viscous with masses of rose water receding into lychee, delicate wood spice and complex herbaceous notes. It manages to be extremely floral, powerful and yet layered with great nuance.