GD Vajra might be my favorite. It is the sleekest I have had, and really had great acidity keeping it fresh as well. That seems to be a challenge for Barolo Chinato. The flavors also unraveled slowly almost one by one and with great precision.
Cappellano came with many trusted recommendations, but I found a bit too much licorice flavor on the only bottle I have had. Still very good and I have a few cellaring, so I will definitely be giving it a few more runs though.
Pio Cesare’s is excellent, and right there near GD Vajra imo, but at a much higher pricepoint.
Cocchi and Damilano I found to be very good as well, but a slight step behind those 2.
Their description of Roagna’s is very accurate. Really pretty but quite a bit more like a sweet Barolo than a Chinato IMO.
I also like Fantino’s Chinato imported by Kermit Lynch. Kind of in a similar mode to Cappellano’s with bolder Nebbiolo fruit and more complex herbals.
One thing that’s nice about them is that they hold and improve after opening, just leave it in the fridge. They lose a bit of acidity but the fruit and aromatics hold strong.
Off-topic but worth mentioning, I was recommended a Vermut from sherry producer Barbadillo called Ataman. It was about $25 retail and I’d say it did a very convincing job of standing in for Chinato at a much lower price. I really liked it.
I can’t say I’ve tasted that many Chinatos, but I recently tasted the Margherita Otto Chinato and found it quite impressive. I had also just tasted the Cappellano version so I was able to make a proper comparison. The Cappellano is ‘heavier’ and very spicy, lots of licorice, etc. The Margherita Otto version was lighter, more floral, more refreshing. I like the Cappellano but could see myself drinking more of the Margherita Otto, and my wife strongly preferred the Margherita Otto version.
Timely rejuvenation of this thread.
I like Marcarini and I am interested in the groups thoughts on Del Professore as it is less expensive.
I went to a great restaurant recently where they offered a range of Negronis including one made with a Barolo Chinato. It was great and I want to offer it but my concern is how long the Chinato remains fresh after opening or whether I should just use a Coravin as I will only be requiring a 30ml serve each time?
I asked Francesca Vaira this question two weeks ago and her response (after laughing and saying most people open it for big family gatherings and there’s none left) was that she keeps hers open to drink over 5 or 6 weeks and it’s fine. Her recommendation was specifically a wine fridge, but she said a regular fridge will do if there’s no wine fridge.
If you’re offering it at a restaurant or bar, I imagine that time frame is not a concern.
We drink quite a bit of Barolo Chinato. Italians seem to have “bitter” down to an art-form. Hard to find in Chicago…apart from Eataly where there are usually 5 or 6 different purchase options. A good rye manhattan is one of our ''go-to" cocktails. We use whatever Barolo Chinato we have open to replace the sweet vermouth. Some sweet vermouths tend to mask the flavor of the spirit (particularly if your bourbon or rye is only 80 proof). The Chinato seems to let the flavor of your base spirit shine.
