Barolo Chinato is a special wine produced with Barolo, spiced with China Calissaja barks, gentian and rhubarb roots, and valuable cardamon seeds – the active principles are extracted through a slow maceration process at room temperature, then refinement occurs in casks for nearly one year.
As mulled wine (vin brulé) having warming and invigorating qualities, it was praised for its fever-reducing and digestives properties. Thus presenting mulled wine became a habit and a hearty way to welcome guests in country villages in winter time. Today, while revisiting the traditions and attempting to recover a more natural style of living, new interesting ways of drinking this spiced wine are emerging.
Perfect to serve with many of your favorite dishes. In chic restaurants it is often presented at room temperature as a stylish after meal or steam heated with an orange twist. And surprisingly, Barolo Chinato has been discovered as an “ideal complement” to balance the long-lasting mouth feel of high cocoa percentage candies.
Serving temperature 16-18°
It differs from the 'classic' Barolo through its production method, which involves the infusion of Barolo wine with China Calissaya bark (quinine bark, translated in Italian as china, hence the wine's name chinato). Up to 21 other herbs and spices, including rhubarb roots, gentian, orange peels, cloves and cardamom seeds, are also added to the mix. This process is a slow maceration at room temperature for around eight weeks. The aromatized wine is then fortified to 16% alcohol and matured in small barrels for up to one year.
This Barolo wine is generally characterized by its bittersweet aromas and lingering, smooth aftertaste. It is usually consumed as an after-dinner drink, either as a dessert wine or a digestif. It is also considered an excellent accompaniment to dark chocolate, or it can be served as an aperitif with soda and ice (similar to sweet vermouth).
