Odonata winery adds an aged brandy to its Papa Hoey lineup, with the promise of more.

A few years ago, Denis Hoey introduced an eau de vie brandy prepared with lemon. He also committed some of the wine to barrels (without citrus) and admitted that he might not have the patience necessary to endure its maturation.

Fortunately, the Odonata winemaker managed to keep his hands off. Now a traditional Papa Hoey brandy is in bottles after four years of rest, meeting VSOP standards. The spirit is smooth and inviting, on the palate and in its aromatic welcome.

Notions of caramel and candied cherry swirl from the glass. With a gentle vanilla, its bouquet could be compared to a delicate cordial, but for the more stern reminder of oak. The spirit—Hoey had it distilled from Petite Sirah and returned to the same barrels—offers much of the same to the palate. The richness of cured fruit, the burnished calm of toffee, the leather-bound decorum of a wood-paneled club wreathed in the earthy-sweet smoke of pipe tobacco, the winter charm of baking spice—all traipse over the senses. And yet there is very much an everyday informality to the brandy, thanks in part to the Papa Hoey tag.

Odonata continues to produce the clear, lemon-scented young brandy. The VSOP—Very Superior Old Pale simply means it has been aged at least four years—is just the start when it comes to aged spirits. Hoey has also sent out for distillation and then barreled wine from several other varietals. His patience is bound to pay off again.

Odonota, 645 River Road, Salinas. 566-5147, odonatawines.com.