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NV Barolo Chinato

A. & G. Fantino
Discount Eligible $44.00
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Barolo Chinato was once peddled as a cure-all elixir, said to heal miscellaneous daily discomforts. Appropriately, the ingredients in the Fantino brothers’ Chinato read like a potions book: there’s Calissaja Quinine, Genziana, Colombo, and Centaurea. The details are intriguingly vague—Italian legislation insists that the vintage of the wine remain unknown, and herb sources are a guarded family secret. The result is a deliciously aromatized Barolo, fascinating and complex with a long, herbal finish. Though medical claims were long ago dispelled, this can still be honestly touted as the ideal digestivo.

Katie Dodds


Technical Information
Wine Type: dessert
Vintage: N.V.
Bottle Size: 500mL
Blend: Nebbiolo
Appellation: Barolo
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmont
Producer: A. & G. Fantino
Winemaker: Alessandro & Gian Natale Fantino
Vineyard: 21 years years, 8 ha in total
Soil: Sandy Clay
Aging: Aged in large oak barrels for 4 years; after aging, fortified and blended with the family’s secret recipe of spices
Farming: Sustainable
Alcohol: 17%

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About The Region

Piedmont

map of Piedmont

Kermit’s love affair with the great reds of Piemonte dates back to the early days of his career: the very first container he imported from Italy, in fact, featured legendary 1971 and 1974 Barolos from Vietti and Aldo Conterno. Regular visits since then have seen our portfolio grow to now twelve Piemontesi estates, with a strong focus on the rolling hills of the Langhe.

Nebbiolo rules these majestic, vine-covered marl slopes, giving Italy’s most mystifyingly complex, nuanced, and age-worthy reds. When crafted via traditional production methods—long macerations and extensive aging in enormous oak botti—the powerful, yet incredibly refined Barolos and Barbarescos provide haunting aromatics of tar, raspberry, incense, tea, roses, and more. At times austere in their youth but well worth the wait, they pair beautifully with the hearty local cuisine starring veal in many forms, braised beef, pastas like tajarin and agnolotti, and of course, Alba’s famous white truffles.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Piemonte’s climate is continental, with baking hot summers and cold winters. Nebbiolo is only part of the story here: juicy, fruity Barberas and Dolcettos represent the bread and butter throughout the region, and other native grapes like Freisa, Croatina, and the white Arneis are also noteworthy. Value abounds in the Monferrato, while Alto Piemonte also has its share of thrills to provide.

Every corner of Piemonte is rich with tradition, especially when wine is concerned. It’s no wonder we have been singing the region’s praises for over forty years.

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Inspiring Thirst

A good doctor prescribed the wine of Nuits-Saint-Georges to the Sun King, Louis XIV, when he suffered an unknown maladie. When the king’s health was restored the tasty remedy enjoyed a vogue at court. Lord, send me a doctor like that!

Inspiring Thirst, page 117