by Bennett Kalafut

Created on: July 25, 2010

Distillerie Francoli's Poggio Basso Grappa del Piemonte breaks most of the "rules" consumers follow to obtain quality grappe, and lacks nothing relative to grappe available for twice its price or more. . 

Quality grappe are almost invariably distilled from pomace of a single grape varietal; Poggio Basso (the name means "low hill") is a blend of 30% Nebbiolo (the grape used to make Barolo and Barbaresco), 10% Moscato Piemontese, and 60% who-knows-what.  Grappe that do not taste (and burn) like kerosene usually cost more than $25 per 375 ml bottle; at the time of writing Poggio Basso is

listed for $12 on Epinions.com, for $14.56 at Wally's Wine and Spirits, for $14.99 at Super Wine Mart, and can be had for slightly under $10 at Trader Joe's locations in California that sell hard liquor.

It's cheap, it's a blend, and the 60% of the blend on which the producer chooses not to comment could be pomace of Trebbiano or a similar throwaway grape, but nevertheless Poggio Basso is a quality grappa.  Nebbiolo shows itself well, giving this grappa prune and leather aromas and a distinct "chewy" flavor, but Poggio Basso is pleasantly lighter on the palate than a 100% Nebbiolo grappa.  It isn't just thinned out, either.  Floral aromas and somewhat delicate hints of peach or apricot, which would not be expected in a Nebbiolo grappa, also show through.  The finish is long and fruity, with hints of white pepper and vanilla showing through, and apricot-like muscat flavors ultimately dominating the aftertaste.

While certainly a grappa, with the warming and "bite" characteristic of that spirit, Poggio Basso (according to the producer's website) is softened by brief oak aging, not long enough to give it any noticeable color, in addition to six months of maturation in steel tanks.  Its mouthfeel is somewhat oily: not thick, but certainly not thin, keeping it from being overly hot or burning.  While most inexpensive grappe are for mixing, shots, or cooking, Poggio Basso is a grappa mild and smooth enough to sip from a snifter, yet low enough in price to mix into a caffè corretto or to use to flavor desserts like sorbet and semifreddo.

Away from areas where Trader Joe's sells spirits, Poggio Basso is a bit difficult to find, but worth buying if you can locate it, partly because of and largely in spite of its low price.

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