Nivole Moscato Chiarlo 2021 - Half Bottle 375ml

Winemaker Michele Chiarlo named this wine Nivole after the Piedmontese translation for clouds. A fitting name as the wine is so light and delicately luscious; with gentle flavours of peach and apricot, that one sip is likely to send you floating around the atmosphere, until you precipitate over the Italian Alps in a hail of sweet fruit and naturally refreshing acidity. Thus, this wine comes with a warning. Although sampling this wine is almost a necessity, particularly when paired with light fruit pastries, when do recommend you set up some sort of anchor; it's a long way back from the top of Mont Blanc.

Michele Chiarlo is one of Piedmont's truly great winemakers. The family owns 60 hectares of vineyard in three of the classic growing areas - Langhe, Monferrato and Gavi and have access to a further 50 hectares through long-term relationships with their growers. Michele has insisted on total quality since his first vintage in 1956, an ethos which his sons Stefano and Alberto adopt today. The Chiarlo style is highly elegant, they make complex wines that can age for decades but above all reflect their provenance - some of the finest vineyard sites in Piedmont.

The grapes were gently pressed. A slow fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel autoclaves until the alcohol level reached 5%. During this process, part of the carbon dioxide developed during fermentation remained “entrapped”, imparting the wine with its mild, natural effervescence. The temperature was then lowered to 0°C to arrest the fermentation and also to retain the natural sweetness and freshness of the Moscato grape. The wine was micro filtered to give the wine its clarity, purity and prevent any further fermentation of the yeasts.