Our July Wine of the Month is a new take on an old favourite – Michele Chiarlo ‘Nivole’, Moscato d’Asti 2021, in a 750ml bottle! The Moscato grapes for Nivole come from the vineyards in the heart of the historic viticultural area of Monferrato, which have been carefully selected as they are the most suited to the Moscato variety.
In a nutshell
A gently sparkling dessert wine with intense peach and tropical fruit flavours, delightfully silky.
The producer
Michele Chiarlo is one of Piedmont’s most prestigious winemakers, producing outstanding wines from some of the most exceptional sites in Piedmont, including Barolo’s world famous Cannubi and Cerequio vineyards. Founded in 1956 by Michele Chiarlo and now run by his sons Alberto and Stefano, the Chiarlo philosophy “is to capture the terroir” and with judicious use of oak they develop some wines for ageing and some which can be enjoyed earlier. Their stunning collection of Barolo and Barbera wines consistently receive 90+ points from Wine Advocate, James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast.
The wine
The grapes were gently pressed and the must stored at very low temperatures. The temperature was raised and 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 captured, 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.