Variety: 100% Ruché, fortified and infused with herbs, spices, and botanicals in accordance with a secret Gatti family recipe Alcohol: 17% abv. Color: Deep ruby red

Background: “La Ribotà” translates as spontaneous gathering. The only fortified wine of its kind produced from the red grape variety Ruché, this digestivo is labeled as Vino Aromatizzato Alla China because it does not follow the same dictates as Chinato from Barolo, where it was first developed by a pharmacist in the 1800s.

Vineyard: Estate fruit from vineyards situated at 250 meters above sea level. 40% of this fruit comes from Majole, a legendary, high-density vineyard planted to Ruché in 1975 with southwest exposure; meanwhile, the remaining 60% comes from Santa Eufemia, another high-density parcel planted in 1992 with eastern exposure. Calcareous-red clay soils. 5,000 vines per hectare trained in the guyot style. Only 70 quintals per hectare harvested.

Vinification: This secret elixir is a blend of the winery’s DOCG-level Ruché wine with herbs, spices, and botanicals. The essential ingredient is china (pronounced “kee-nah”), derived from the cinchona tree native to Southeast Asia whose bark produces quinine. Additional ingredients include but are not limited to wormwood, cardamom seed, cinnamon, and orange peel, all of which are left to macerate in a base of neutral grain spirits and then blended with Ruché. The finished product rests for 30 days before being racked to a stainless-steel tank, where it rests for another 3 months followed by a minimum of 3 months in bottle prior to release.

Nose: The wild aromatics of Ruché marry with a host of herbs, spices, and botanicals, giving way to notes of quinine, citrus peel, and cardamom.

Palate: This bottling bears all the hallmarks of great fortified wine—past-ripened yet still vibrant fruit; delicately sweet and slightly bitter; and a spiced finish that warms the body and the soul.

Pairings: One of Chinato’s main ingredients, quinine, is believed to settle the stomach. An after-dinner drink to be enjoyed neat or with ice. Alternatively, this makes for a lovely aperitivo when mixed with either sparkling wine or a splash of soda with an orange peel to fashion a unique spritz.