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Pio Cesare Barolo Chinato is an aromatised red wine produced from Barolo wine flavoured with quinine and other botanicals. It was reintroduced by the family in 2016, having been discontinued in the 1950s as tastes changed and this style of wine fell out of fashion. It was also joined by a Pio Cesare Vermouth; both are based on secret, family recipes and feature historical labels.
Pio Cesare is named after its founder, Cesare Pio, who established the business in 1881. In the 1950s, Pio Cesare was one of the first producers to export their Barolo wines to the UK, thereby developing the wine’s reputation overseas. Today, the founder’s great-grandson, Pio Boffa, continues the family tradition, producing Piemontese wines in a style that manages to balance the best of the old with the best of the new.
The estate is based in Alba in the heart of the Piemonte region, nestled between the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. The surrounding hills provide a handful of ideal exposures for grape growing with unique microclimates. The confluence of cold Alpine air with warm maritime moisture regularly creates a misty glow, or “nebbia”, over these foothills, hence the name of Nebbiolo for the great red variety of the region.
Barolo Chinato is thought to have been invented in the 1870s by Dr Giuseppe Cappellano. Every producer’s recipe is top secret, often handed down through the family, but they all include Barolo wine flavoured with the bark of the Chichona tree, a source of quinine, and a long list of botanicals. Traditionally, producers would never tell anyone the full list of herbs, barks and spices to keep the best Barolo Chinato wine’s recipe a secret.
Pio Cesare Barolo Chinato is made by macerating the bark of the Cinchona calisaya tree and Succirubra (tree barks from South America, which are a source of quinine) in a small amount of Barolo wine for 21 days. To this is then added a mixture of aromatic botanicals including:
After a few weeks steeping, this is added to more Pio Cesare Barolo wine with sugar and alcohol spirit. This infusion is then matured for at least 4 months in small stainless-steel tanks and a further two months in the bottle before release.
Appearance: The Pio Cesare Barolo Chinato is a deep, inviting ruby colour with amber hues.
Aroma: On the nose, there are hints of aromatic mountain herbs with a festive medley of cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon with vibrant orange zesty notes adding a bright, citrusy lift.
Palate: This aromatised wine has flavours of cinnamon, molasses, and cardamom balanced by a refreshing zestiness. It has a luxurious mouthfeel that is never cloying.
Finish: The bittersweet finish is warm and lingering, with medicinal and spiced notes.
Barolo Chinato originally found fame as a tonic wine, an almost therapeutic wine. It was thought to cure all sorts of ailments, colds and flu, etc., was reputed to reduce fever as well as working as a digestif to settle the stomach – a “tonic digestivo”.
Traditionally, Barolo Chinato would be served neat, at room temperature, at the end of the meal. Today, some people serve it chilled or over ice.
Try with dark chocolate, dark chocolate desserts or pralines. It is also a classic match for mature Pecorino.
For something a little different, try with charcuterie and other cured meats.
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