Luli

A small, bittersweet glass for the very end of the night: Moscato's grapey sweetness, steadied by the bitter bite of quinine bark.

Chinato is Piedmont's old digestivo, wine steeped with quinine bark and spices. Mauro Vergano is a chemist by training and makes one from Nebbiolo. In 2003 he released Luli from Moscato instead, and it is still the only one of its kind. The base is organic, unsulphured Moscato from the Bera family. Quinine leads the botanicals, with vanilla, lemon zest, clove and cinnamon behind it. Floral sweetness comes first, then citrus peel and spice. The bark leaves a clean grip on the finish.