Avignonesi

Avignonesi is a wine estate based in Montepulciano that produces a range of local wines and several ancillary cellar products (olive oil, honey and distillates). Avignonesi's grappas are made from the pomace of the grapes used for the house wines (including Sangiovese for Vino Nobile and dried grapes for Vin Santo) and are processed at specialized distilleries with which Avignonesi collaborates.

Vineyard and cellar practices oriented towards sustainability: the producer applies organic and biodynamic approaches in its vineyards and enhances the local supply chain by transforming winery by-products into quality distillates, with attention to artisanal care throughout the production process.

Montepulciano (province of Siena), Tuscany. The grappas derive from the pomace of grapes grown and processed on the estate (in particular from the dried grapes intended for Vin Santo).

Avignonesi grappas are obtained from pomace still rich in must — pomace from dried grapes destined for Vin Santo or from Sangiovese used for Vino Nobile — which undergo fermentation and are then distilled at a partner artisanal distillery. Distillation is personally overseen by the master distiller and includes manual separation of heads and tails; at the end distilled water is added to reach the desired strength.

Artisanal discontinuous distillation with a steam still; manual separation of heads and tails; process overseen by a master distiller (production outsourced to a specialized distillery).

For the grappa from Vin Santo: ageing in third-generation French barriques for at least 18 months followed by bottle maturation (minimum indicated 1 year for some labels). For other grappas (e.g. Grappa di Vino Nobile) a short bottle ageing is provided (minimum indicated 6 months on some technical sheets).