NV
Only 1,000 bottles per year are released of the Pio Cesare NV Barolo Chinato, a fortified digestif that pours from the bottle with a dark garnet color and faint hints of copper and amber. This bottle takes you on a terrific journey into a favorite local tradition. Made with a base of Barolo wine, the nose offers layers of dried cherry and fruit, but perhaps the biggest aromatic influence here are those dusty mineral notes that subtract from the natural sweetness of the wine. That 16% alcohol content also serves to align your palate away from the fruit. Instead, you get medical herb, dried ginger and camphor ash.
A rich but transparent amber, the NV Barolo Chinato reveals notes of blood orange, baking spice, mocha, and rosemary, followed by a medium to full-bodied red with sweetness and delicate, attractive bitterness in its hints of tea leaf and orange peel. Lifted and not heavy, it would be perfect paired with chocolate.