WTN: Four Chinatos...(short/boring)

Over the last week, I've tried 4 Chinatos:
1. Boroli BaroloChinato Vermouth (16.5%; www.DallaTerra.com) B by Distilleric Dr.MMontanaro NV: Fairly dark color w/ slight bricking; strong quinine/barky quite grapey fragrant licorice/spicy very complex/exotic nose; soft quite sweet very aromatic/barky/quinine/grapey/very spicy exotic flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long/lingering some alcoholic/fumey intense grapey/licorice/quinine/barky very complex/exotic finish w/ some smooth/gentle tannins; a beautiful herbaceous Chinato w/ light quinine/barky character. $64.00 (SFW&S)
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2. Cocchi BaroloChinato VinoAromatizzato a Base di ChinaCalissic DOCG: Barolo (QuinineBark/GrandWormwood/Rhubarb/RootGinger/Gentian; 16.5%) NV: Med.dark color w/ some bricking; beautiful aromatic quinine/barky/earthy/dusty/herbal very complex/aged classic Chinato nose; some alcoholic off-dry/slightly sweet very quinine/barky/licorice/herbal aged Barolo rather earthy/dusty medicinal/herbal off-dry very exotic finish w/ light tannins; lots of aged Barolo character. $50.00/hlf (SFW&S)
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3. Harington bebe Chinato Vermouth AromaticWine (Infused w/ a blend of fruits/roots/herbs/spices; Aged: 8 yrs in oak barrel; 29 cs bttld in 2016; 16.5%) NV: Med. somewhat bricked color; strong earthy/dusty bit medicinal/quinine bit herbal/Cab/licorice some alcoholic rather complex nose; rather soft dry some hot/alcoholic quite dusty/earthy some medicinal/quinine/cough syrup bitter/sharp bit herbal/Cab flavor w/ some bitterness; very long somewhat hot/alcoholic quite dusty/earthy rather medicinal/quinine/cough syrup bit herbal finish w/ slight bitterness; a fairly good resemblance to Piemonte Chinato but not as strong on the herbs/barky character and not the aged character. $35.00/hlf
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4. Bigallet China-China Amer (40%; www.BigalletUSA.com; sweet&bitter orange peels/herbs/spices/cinchona/anise/clove; BackBarProject/Seattle) Virieu/France NV: Very dark some bricked color; very sweet orangey/orange peel/very spicy some alcoholic/fumey slight earthy/herbal very exotic/complex nose; soft/bit underacid quite sweet very fumey/alcoholic very orangey/orange peel/orange liqueur some licorice/anise little quinine lovely flavor; very long/lingering some hot/alcoholic very intense orangey/orange peel/orange liqueur some herbal/earthy rather sweet very complex finish w/ no tannins; resembles some an intense orange liqueur w/o the syrupy sweetness; a wonderfully exotic drink. $43.00 (CB)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Chinato is just one of what is called Amaro in Italy, a very interesting genre of liquers, usually bitter, often sweet, that is used mostly as an after-dinner digestif. I was first introduced to BaroloChinato by DarrellCorti back in the '70's. I can't say that I took an immediate liking to it. It reminded me of the Buckley's Cough Syrup that my Mom made me take when I had a cold...one of the foulest beverages I ever put in my mouth.
It is typically made in the Langhe from Barolo wine, often sweetened w/ sugar, and infused w/ various herbs & spices, one of which is quinine bark (cinchona). Cappellano was the first, invented back in the late 1800's.
Of these four, I liked the the Cocchi probably the best. To my knowledge, the Harrington is the first attempt in Calif to make a Chinato-style wine. Though it was my least favorite of these four, I thought it was a pretty heroic stab at the genre. Even at 8 yrs in barrel, it didn't have the aged character that the other 3 showed. Not sure what the base wine was, but it seemed to have a bit of a Cabernet character. But it is a genre I think they should pursue more in Calif. It's open for all sorts of creativity. There are a number of folks (Massican/Matthiasson) who are making very interesting Vermouths.
In fact, way back when, SutterHome made a TripleCreamApertif wine, based on Darrell's urging and recipe. It was a phenomenal wine. Primarily because it was made from a base wine of very old cream sherry from EastSideWnry in Lodi. Easily, the best wine BobTrinchero ever made. But when that sherry source dried up (when they closed), the wine went South fast. Don't know that they even make it anymore.
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2. Since I opened these Chinatos and have been sampling them daily, I have absolutely no fear of coming down w/ maleria here in NM in the dead of winter.
I used some of the Chinato, w/ a bit of Espresso-flavored Balsamic, as a marinade and reduction sauce for duck breat on Sunday. An absolutely killer dish. And had some last night w/ a ChocolateGelato (a new Arti-San brand, made in Italy, that Smith's/Krogers has brought out...highly recommended, along w/ the Sicilian Pistacio) that was delicious.
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3. Bigallet: This is a Amer (French for Amaro) that is made in the foothills of the Rhone Alps. Not sure what the base wine is made from. The orange character comes from the alcohol that is triple-distilled after the maceration w/ Valencia and Curacao oranges. Not much resemblance to Chinato but a pretty interesting apertif drink. Should be served at a fairly cool temperature to reduce the alcohol fumes.
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4. I can see that I'm going to be browsing the Amaro section of the wine shops w/ a more than casual interest. May even buy the Amaro book that just came out.
Tom

Random responses:

1. Thanks for the attention to aromatized wines. Always appreciated.

2. Chinato is simply a designation that cinchona (ground bark from the tree that gave us quinine) was used as the primary bittering agent. Barolo Chinato is a region/specific chinato.

3. Other amer/amari/aromatizizzati bittering agents are gentiane (gentiane root), orris root, wormwood (vermouth, Chartreuse, Genepy des Alpes). Gentiane is really popular in France. The primary differences are where the most pronounced bitter element hits you on your palate...china (kina, pronounced "keenah" or known in Tuscany as 'calissaia' or 'calisaya' is on the front of the palate, where gentiane registers more on the back of the palate.

4. Bigallet China-China is really an outlier or sorts in this group. It is actually closer to the legendary Amer Picon (or just Picon, or Biere Picon) from France. It's actually what I use for my biere picon (put a shot in a glass of, say, Leffe Belgian or somesuch!). I also (brag, brag) made such approving noises locally that a top bar named a drink after me, the "Uncle Hoke"---a shot of Bigallet China-China backed up with a pint glass of very dry cider. It is actually delicious.

5. California comes up second place again. Oregon winemaker Patrick Taylor at Cana's Feast early on developed a "Chinato d'Erbe" (because he couldn't call it Barolo Chinato, of course) by sourcing some nebbiolo from E. WA and adding selected herbs and spices and botanicals. It is fantastic! At about the same time a Tuscan-born gentleman in Oregon created "Calisaya", a spirit-based china and bitter orange (from California oranges) that is also superb.

Patrick Taylor's Chinato was so successful he established a separate company (Hammer & Tongs) and came out with a dark, brooding and magnificent amaro called "L'Afrique" and others. Definitely worth checking out.

Also, the guys at Bull Run Distillery here in Portland were developing/aging their whiskey while also sourcing some Kentucky/Indiana whiskey for a second label, tasted the Chinato d'Erbe, and asked Patrick for his used barrels. They then barrel-aged the bourbon in the Chinato barrels for some fantastic flavored whiskey---which sold out, like, instantly.

6. If you'd come up here occasionally we could get you properly educated about this stuff.

Random responses:

1. Thanks for the attention to aromatized wines. Always appreciated.

2. Chinato is simply a designation that cinchona (ground bark from the tree that gave us quinine) was used as the primary bittering agent. Barolo Chinato is a region/specific chinato.

3. Other amer/amari/aromatizizzati bittering agents are gentiane (gentiane root), orris root, wormwood (vermouth, Chartreuse, Genepy des Alpes). Gentiane is really popular in France. The primary differences are where the most pronounced bitter element hits you on your palate...china (kina, pronounced "keenah" or known in Tuscany as 'calissaia' or 'calisaya' is on the front of the palate, where gentiane registers more on the back of the palate.

4. Bigallet China-China is really an outlier or sorts in this group. It is actually closer to the legendary Amer Picon (or just Picon, or Biere Picon) from France. It's actually what I use for my biere picon (put a shot in a glass of, say, Leffe Belgian or somesuch!). I also (brag, brag) made such approving noises locally that a top bar named a drink after me, the "Uncle Hoke"---a shot of Bigallet China-China backed up with a pint glass of very dry cider. It is actually delicious.

5. California comes up second place again. Oregon winemaker Patrick Taylor at Cana's Feast early on developed a "Chinato d'Erbe" (because he couldn't call it Barolo Chinato, of course) by sourcing some nebbiolo from E. WA and adding selected herbs and spices and botanicals. It is fantastic! At about the same time a Tuscan-born gentleman in Oregon created "Calisaya", a spirit-based china and bitter orange (from California oranges) that is also superb.

Patrick Taylor's Chinato was so successful he established a separate company (Hammer & Tongs) and came out with a dark, brooding and magnificent amaro called "L'Afrique" and others. Definitely worth checking out.

Also, the guys at Bull Run Distillery here in Portland were developing/aging their whiskey while also sourcing some Kentucky/Indiana whiskey for a second label, tasted the Chinato d'Erbe, and asked Patrick for his used barrels. They then barrel-aged the bourbon in the Chinato barrels for some fantastic flavored whiskey---which sold out, like, instantly.

6. If you'd come up here occasionally we could get you properly educated about this stuff.

Oh, and one other thing, Tom.

Check out Haus Alpenz importers. The single best and most over-arching import company for aromatizatti (they bring in Cocchi di Turino, Dolin Chambery, and loads of other great bitter stuff).

www.hausalpenz.com

If you have a chance go to one of their frequent industry tastings. I can also introduce you to their NSM, Jake Parrot, an all around great guy (even though he's my friend for some reason) and fairly frequent visitor to the California market, who will expand your horizons in a lot of ways, but let's stay focused here on aromatizzati.

Thanks, Hoke, for expanding my horizons on aromatizzati (new term for me). It's a genre I like to see much more pursued in Calif, or elsewhere. Maybe I'll just have to come up your way next year so that you can edumacate me!!
Tom

Excellent notes there Tom. Uncle Hoke hit the highpoints. I love the Cocchi Chinato and the one from Capellano is pretty fab too. Bigallet shows up in many drinks I like to mix up. Love that orangey bitterness of the Picon style. I like playing with it as a more bitter/complex substitute for Curacao or Triple Sec.

Ya, Haus Alpenz are the guys bringing in all the bestest in the aromatized categories. I think Lee Edwards is the rep that hits the NM market.