H&G FINE & RARE BRANDY
Two households, both alike in dignity, have come together to create this Potstill Brandy of rare distinction.
Rooted in fine artisanal craftmanship, H&G Fine & Rare Potstill Brandy is distilled in an age-old tradition through an Alembic Pot Still. The result is a timeless brandy, with a spicy, elegant structure that develops a complex, layered taste of peaches, ginger, marzipan, and candied orange peel during barrel-aging. Acclaimed South African International Spirit Judge, Dave Hughes, on first tasting H&G Potstill Brandy, spontaneously declared: “Different, unique, refined, spicy, too complex to define. I think it’s delicious.”
H&G Potstill Brandy has been built on a solid foundation: the knowledge and skill of Master Distiller George Dalla Cia; the traditional pot still method of distillation; the judicious application of oak from the Limousin forests of France; and the blending of distinct grape varieties and their terroir.
The “H” in H&G represents Harry Stephan, Managing Director of Stephan Bros (Pty) Ltd, a company that has been embedded in the business of the Cape through it’s fishing and farming activities for 210 years. Harry Stephan has also long promoted the wine and brandy industries, by editing and publishing its iconic writers such as Phyllis Hands and Dave Hughes, amongst others. Twenty years ago, Harry Stephan identified Shiraz as a grape variety that could not only be brought to the correct phenological ripeness on the company’s farm in the Helderberg but would also be perfectly suited for a pot still brandy that could withstand years and years in oak.
In creating H&G Potstill Brandy, the choice of wood, the size of barrels to use, and the length of time the brandy should be aged to gain maximum effect, were serious considerations. At H&G, the decision was taken to emulate classic French producers by using new 225-litre barriques from Limousin.
As the brandy matures and develops in barrel, air gently passes through the oak pores and interact with all the brandy components. Vanilla notes change to caramel then to toffee; the fruit flavours become less floral and primal and begin picking up additional concentration. New and complex flavours will emerge. The alcohol level begins to slowly dissipate, creating a rounder, more harmonious brandy. When the alcohol, fruit, and nutty complexity begin to converge, the brandy is considered to be at its summit.
In finding the summit, Master Distiller, George Dalla Cia, concluded that H&G would be barrel-aged for not less than nine years before entering the bottle. H&G Fine & Rare Potstill Brandy is barrel-aged for a minimum of IX+ years.
Winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2018, Silver Medal in London.
The “G” in H&G represents Master Distiller, George Dalla Cia. His expertise at H&G is critical because of the “feel” and experience required to create perfect brandy time after time from the Alembic Pot Still. Once the brandy has matured in its oak barriques, George Dalla Cia is also entirely responsible for creating the final H&G Potstill Brandy that is put into the bottle. Blending is a fine and rare art, and distilling an artisan brandy also takes huge dedication, patience, and a fund of knowledge. George Dalla Cia, is the third generation of the Dalla Cia family to understand the art of distillation. His heritage stems from Friuli, northern Italy, where his Grandfather, Vittorio Dalla Cia, acquired a small pot still, starting the first Dalla Cia Distillery in 1923, where later, brandy was also produced.
