FANTINO BAROLO CHINATO

FANTINO BAROLO CHINATO, PIEDMONT, ITALY. 100% Nebbiolo. (Sustainable)

Chinato is one of the digestif world's best kept secrets. Technically it's a vermouth, but unlike most vermouths out there, which are made with lower quality wine as the base, the base wine for Chinato is certified DOCG Barolo—100% Nebbiolo from the Barolo appellation that has been barrel-aged for the requisite number of years (this one comes from wine aged in large oak barrels for 4 years). This is then blended with a grain alcohol or grappa infusion of herbs and spices (juniper, coriander, citrus rind, clove, ginger, vanilla, bay leaf, and cardamom, to name a few) along with bittering agents (cinchona, wormwood and gentian root) to aromatize and fortify it. Sugar is also added to balance the bitterness. The result is a complex and rich digestif that is totally in a class of it's own. The name "Chinato" comes from the ingredient cinchona, the bark that produces quinine ("china" in Italian, pronounced KEY-nah) and that gives the wine its signature bitterness.

Fantino uses a family recipe of spices that includes China Calissaio, Bergamotto, Arancio, Mandrino, Vanilia, Cannella, Genziana, Chiudi di Garofano, Cardomomo, Assenzio (absinthe). After maceration and fortification, the wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks for six months and bottle for three months in bottle before release. It's absolutely delicious, at once bitter and sweet, with the herbal and spice notes perfectly matched by rich and velvety fruit. A great way to end a meal, perhaps accompanied by a bite of dark chocolate.