Le Diciotto Lune – Miniature

Le Diciotto Lune in miniature, five centiliters to get to know it

The Le Diciotto Lune miniature by Marzadro holds 5 cl – two generous glasses of a Grappa Stravecchia that has matured for 18 months in four different woods. At 41% ABV and with an amber hue, it is the smallest path to one of Italy's most famous grappas.

The Le Diciotto Lune miniature is the entry-level size from Distilleria Marzadro: five centiliters of that very same Grappa Stravecchia that was named the best aged grappa in the world at the 2016 World Grappa Awards. What is inside this bottle has spent eighteen full moons in wood – the same time, the same care as in the large version, just in a smaller format.

Amber in the glass, vanilla and ripe fruit in the aroma, silky on the palate: this miniature makes no compromises. Two glasses are enough to know if this grappa belongs on your shelf.

A sample sip without regrets

Five centiliters cost little and answer much – especially the question of whether an aged grappa is even your kind of drink.

For many, grappa has an old reputation: sharp, harsh, just what you get in Italy after a meal. Diciotto Lune puts an end to that, and it doesn't take more than this small bottle to prove it. A quiet evening, room temperature, and no rush are all it asks for – a fine distillate only reveals its true character when you give it time. If it convinces you, the 500 ml bottle and the 700 ml bottle await.

And if not, you have received an answer for a few euros instead of having an opened bottle sitting in the cupboard. A good deal either way.

Small bottles, big impact

Miniatures are more than just samples: they fit in gift baskets, on an advent calendar, or in a coat pocket for a hike.

Included with a gift where a full-sized bottle would be too much, it is a greeting that tastes good rather than just filling space. The format is also perfect for travel: five centiliters are allowed in carry-on luggage if they fit in the bag. Anyone wishing to compare several of the distillery's styles will find four grappas and one coffee liqueur in exactly this size in the Le Mignon tasting set.

Eighteen moons for five centiliters

The contents are created from five Trentino grape varieties – Marzemino, Teroldego, Merlot, Muscat, and Chardonnay – and aged in casks made of cherry, ash, oak, and robinia wood.

Distillation takes place in a water bath, in discontinuous stills; master distiller Andrea Marzadro keeps only the heart of the run. Then, it's time to wait. The fact that such a small bottle requires the same effort as the large one is the real point: what is bottled is what is ready, regardless of the size of the vessel.

The distillation happens in Nogaredo in the Adige Valley, not far from Lake Garda, just as Sabina Marzadro began there in 1949 – working around the clock for one hundred days between September and December because fresh pomace cannot wait. Today, Andrea, Anna, and Stefano Marzadro run the distillery as a family business. All grappas from Marzadro are ready for you here.

Into the right glass, not a shot glass

This miniature belongs in a proper glass, not a shot glass – a tulip-shaped glass collects the aroma, and that is what this grappa lives for. Room temperature, a moment to breathe, then the first sip. After a meal, with an espresso, or simply by the fireplace: five centiliters are enough for a good moment, and this bottle doesn't want to be anything more than that.