Chinato

Fermented wines with added herbs and spices have been produced since ancient times. In the Langhe, the advent of Barolo Chinato can be attributed to a certain Dr Cappellano, a pharmacist from Serralunga d'Alba, who created this elixir for curative purposes at the end of the 19th century. Over the years, the various families of the Langa developed their own recipes, based on family tastes and the herbs they found in the vineyards.

Our Barolo Chinato comes from an old family recipe. The base is Barolo Pira, aged for a long time and with the full development of secondary aromas. Different infusions of herbs, barks and flowers in Grappa di Barolo are added to the aged wine; this elixir spends a few more months resting and is then bottled.
Production is very limited, with about 300 bottles per edition.

- Winery

 Tamlyn Currin writes:  There is something rather special about Barolo Chinato vermouth. Rather like an intense raspberry and cherry liqueur with a salt-and-lemon-pith tang and bite. The bitterness is built into the sweetness like bones into flesh, citrus shaping the flesh into lines and parabolas of Seville marmalade, candied clementine peel, dried mandarin, salt-pickled lemon, fragrant-fresh yuzu. Iron and cherry blossom, sandalwood and violets, matcha and lavender syrup. Long, and more vinous than most vermouths.   - Jancis Robinson 18

Renowned in Piemonte since its introduction in 1891, Cocchi Barolo Chinato is a wine of DOCG Barolo infused with quinine bark, rhubarb, ginger, cardamom, cocoa, and a variety of other aromatic spices. Round and rich, yet with the deep back palate one expects of Barolo, this wine possesses the definition necessary to be an ideal digestif or pairing with dark chocolate. Serve as you would a high-quality port or Madeira, or use in lieu of sweet red vermouth in a luxurious Manhattan. You would not be alone in finding this to be the Rolls Royce (or Maserati) of Italian dessert wines.

Dillon Mafit writes:  The chinato tasted like the nectar of the gods, like the most perfectly ripe apricot drizzled in honey, dropped into a glass of 1967 Château Rieussec Sauterne, and dosed with some sort of bitter aphrodisiac.  - thrillist.com

In Mauro Vergano's words (courtesy of LDM website): "I must say that producing a Chinato from Moscato wine was my first big challenge. First produced in 2003, it was the first product of its kind present on the market. The wine I use is a Moscato d’Asti with a higher alcohol content (more than 10%) compared to the ones that are commonly available. As is well-known, the Moscato I use comes from the prestigious winery of Vittorio Bera & Figli. I have to admit that when I was first looking for a Moscato for the first attempts I used wine from various producers, then I was lucky enough to meet Gianluigi Bera and his Moscato and I haven’t left them since. His Moscato’s fragrance and its full-bodiedness meld perfectly with the aromatic extract composed of citrus zest, cinnamon and vanilla. These fresh and sweet aromas are balanced by the bitter flavour of the China (Calisaya and Succirubra) which give it a persistent taste that is absolutely unique. A brief description of the production cycle which all the products share: The first step is the preparation of the extract or “concia”. This is done by leaving a mixture of chopped herbs and spices in alcohol for about 20/30 days. Then the extract is filtered and left to age for a few months. The second step is the actual preparation of the product. To make the product I mix the extract, sugar and alcohol. The last step is clarification followed by filtering which produces a clear product with long-term stability."

 Ian D'Agata writes:  We ended the meal with a Piedmontese classic, the always exceptionally good NV Cappellano Barolo Chinato. From the house that invented it, this is a Chinato of real pedigree: long, suave, complex and rich, featuring lovely, lingering notes of quinine and dark berries and a very typical resiny nuance (typical of this estate’s version of Chinato, that is). It provided a wonderful and very Langhe way to bring our dinner to a close. - Vinous 92

Antonio Galloni writes:  Cappellano’s Barolo Chinato, which is more on the savory side of things, is a personal favorite.  - Vinous 93