Giacomo Borgogno & Figli, Barolo Chinato Stravecchio, NV (1L)

Barolo Chinato started life as medicine. In the 1800s Piedmontese pharmacists steeped quinine-bearing cinchona bark (china) into wine to fight fevers, and the locals, being sensible people, kept drinking it long after they stopped being sick. Borgogno has been making wine in the town of Barolo since 1761, and their Chinato begins with real Barolo, infused with cinchona bark plus a house recipe of roots, barks and spices, then lightly sweetened. Stravecchio means extra-old: extended aging before release rounds the bitterness into something warm and layered. Expect rhubarb, orange peel, clove and cocoa, with a bittersweet quinine finish that hangs around. Serve it in a small glass, lightly chilled, at the end of a meal, ideally next to a square of dark chocolate. It also does terrific things over ice with an orange twist, or in place of sweet vermouth in a stirred drink. Comes in a liter.