In
the language of alchemy, the passage of a metal, or of a man, from a "rough" condition
to a "noble" state meant a maturation tending towards a specific secret identity,
a regeneration process at the end of which all metals would be turned into gold, the metal par
excellence, and all men would be emancipated from impurity and corruptibility. A less utopian,
yet just as meticulous research, was conducted in parallel to this philosophers' current by
illuminated craftsmen whose real task was to discover the essence of nature, of agriculture
and of its transformation. For the general public, the alembics were the inspiring symbols of
an esoteric development becoming, as they are today, the irreplaceable instruments for making
magic spirits.
The
most authoritative precursor - or better alchemist - of "Grappa, or bottled grape sun"
as Paolo Monelli calls it, was Francesco Trussoni, alembic master from Gallo d' Alba. He had the
genial idea of created Grappa di Barolo, the first single grape Grappa in history, in 1885. The
company was taken over by Mario Montanaro and his wife Angela Trussoni in 1922. Withetheir son,
Giuseppe Montanaro, they perfected production processes, also by adopting steam alembics, and
inherited a rigorous method which made use of the precious experience and the influence of the
Alba Wine School. Over a century, this brought about a sort of irreplaceable "ecosystem"
where Montanaro spirits, particularly Grappa di Barolo, have become the most sophisticated emblems
of the values related to a happy territory called Langa, encompassing a variety of historical
and cultural aspects.
At the
MONTANARO Distillery, Grappa is made by distilling the marcs of various vintage wines, firstly
Barolo. After pressing, the mare are passed to traditional "steam alembics" which preserve
the aromas and perfumes of the original wine intact. During distillation, the impure parts are
eliminated to ensure a clear flow of Grappa from the taps. The Grappa is then aged in vintage
wooden vats for years, in special cellars. By ageing, the spirit acquires a perfume and flavour
which is velvety, dry and smootheat the same time, persistent and ethereally recalling the original
wine. Colour is modulated in the range from white to straw, according to the process and original
grape used. The experience of a century and the Constant supervision throughout the entire production
process make MONTANARO Grappa a prestigious product, unique in its kind. In addition to the historical
Grappa di Barolo, other varieties worthementioning are Grappa di Moscato, Grappa di Dolcetto,
Grappa di Barbera, Grappa di Barbaresco and Grappa di Arneis.
