Cappellano Barolo Chinato

Name: Cappellano Barolo Chinato
Brand: Cappellano
SKU: ddfe8caaae5af7ac6c4aaf32f67fe85b
Price: 59.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 92 (4 reviews)

Piedmont, Italy

- Avg Price (ex-tax)
- $ 92 / 750ml

4 from 13 User Ratings
92 / 100 4 Critic Reviews
Style Flavored - Spiced - Fruit Wine

- Critic tasting note: "If you're not familiar with Chinato, you can think of it as a concentrated, herb-infused digestivo version of Barolo. And Barolo's answer to amaro. And also all entirely its own singular thing. Though many producers in Barolo make their own Chinato, Cappellano invented this aromatized wine back in the 1890s, making this the OG. Even today, they keep their recipe all in the family. We do know this blends Cappellano Barolo with neutral spirit that has been soaked in 54 herbs and spices (notably quinine, aka china in Italian, hence the name) plus sugar. Unlike many producers, the base wine is entirely estate, from Cappellano's sustainably farmed, marly soiled vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba, at 300-350m. All spent 42 months in large botti before bottling. It was originally sold as a "medicinal and anti-malaric liniment”, though I prefer to think of it as a killer digestivo. Intoxicatingly complexed from first whiff, with layers of sarsaparilla, spearmint, black liquorice, bittersweet chocolate, iodine, bergamot, star anise, and quinine woven throughout the dried plum and perfumed rose petal base. The sweetness here works to counter the bitter medicinal notes, while the spirit sails this 18% chinato right through whatever is filling your tummy, finishing off with a refreshing and lingering mint. I take this apothocarian elixir at the end of eve with a large cube of ice, though you can hold the open bottle in the fridge easy for a month and enjoy with a slight chill. (Treve Ring)." - Gismondi on Wine
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Highlights

Winery

Cappellano

13 products ranged between $70 - $619 (Avg. price ex tax)

Region or Appellation

Barolo Chinato

Barolo / Piedmont [Piemonte] / Italy

Type of Beverage

Flavored - Spiced - Fruit Wine

Nebbiolo

Details

Analytical Data

Fortified Wine

Details

Analytical Data

Fortified Wine

Critics Scores & Reviews

(4)

Non-Vintage

92 / 100

4 scores

95 - 100

90 - 94

85 - 89

80 - 84

75 - 79

0 - 74

When to drink: 2019 to 2025

93 / 100 Gismondi on Wine

Non Vintage Tasted: Jan 2024

If you're not familiar with Chinato, you can think of it as a concentrated, herb-infused digestivo version of Barolo. And Barolo's answer to amaro. And also all entirely its own singular thing. Though many producers in Barolo make their own Chinato, Cappellano invented this aromatized wine back in the 1890s, making this the OG. Even today, they keep their recipe all in the family. We do know this blends Cappellano Barolo with neutral spirit that has been soaked in 54 herbs and spices (notably quinine, aka china in Italian, hence the name) plus sugar. Unlike many producers, the base wine is entirely estate, from Cappellano's sustainably farmed, marly soiled vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba, at 300-350m. All spent 42 months in large botti before bottling. It was originally sold as a "medicinal and anti-malaric liniment”, though I prefer to think of it as a killer digestivo. Intoxicatingly complexed from first whiff, with layers of sarsaparilla, spearmint, black liquorice, bittersweet chocolate, iodine, bergamot, star anise, and quinine woven throughout the dried plum and perfumed rose petal base. The sweetness here works to counter the bitter medicinal notes, while the spirit sails this 18% chinato right through whatever is filling your tummy, finishing off with a refreshing and lingering mint. I take this apothocarian elixir at the end of eve with a large cube of ice, though you can hold the open bottle in the fridge easy for a month and enjoy with a slight chill. (Treve Ring).

About Gismondi on Wine

93 / 100 Gismondi on Wine

Non Vintage Tasted: Nov 2016

If you're not familiar with Chinato, you can think of it as a sweet, herb-infused version of Barolo. And Barolo's answer to Fernet. And Barolo's version of Vin Santo. And also all entirely its own singular thing. Though many producers in Barolo make their own Chinato, Cappellano invented it in the 1890s, making this the ultimate Barolo Chinato (indeed, one of the most remarkable fortified wines in Italy), and they keep their recipe all in the family. We do know this blends Barolo with spirit that has been soaked in 20-odd spices (notably quinine, hence the name) and sugar. Pouring a murky brown haze, this has potent mint, dusky earth and orange pastille that leaps from the glass and continues on the soft, focused palate. Amply apothecary and understatedly sweet, this showers Seville orange, ripe plum, fig paste, clove, wormwood and concentrated quinine, with powdery tannins and exceptional medicinal orange kissed length. The ultimate digestif? (Treve Ring).

About Gismondi on Wine

91 / 100 CellarTracker

Non Vintage

About CellarTracker

For completeness we may include critic scores in our aggregation that we do not display.

User Ratings

(13)

13 ratings

NV Cappellano Barolo Chinato, Piedmont, Italy

Good

Saved: 1-Feb-2025

Truly unique herbal taste. Quite challenging for food pairing, though. Tried dark chocolate, but not what I had expected.

Price History

USA average retail price per 750ml, ex tax USD $ from Nov 2023 to Oct 2025

Current Product

Cappellano Barolo Chinato Piedmont, Italy

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Flavored - Spiced - Fruit Wine from Barolo Chinato

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Availability Over Time

Number of offers from our merchants from Nov 2023 to Oct 2025

Current Product

Cappellano Barolo Chinato Piedmont, Italy

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Flavored - Spiced - Fruit Wine from Barolo Chinato

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Search Rank Over Time

Popularity relative to other wines, spirits and beers , irrespective of vintage, based on the number of searches from Nov 2023 to Oct 2025

Current Product

Cappellano Barolo Chinato Piedmont, Italy

Benchmark

Flavored - Spiced - Fruit Wine from Barolo Chinato

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