Our Visit to Giuseppe Rinaldi

Date of visit: May 29, 2023

After a long hiatus, we’re finally back! :)

This past May we visited Langhe. Our first tasting of the trip was at the legendary Giuseppe Rinaldi estate, a producer which needs no introduction.

About the Producer

The Giuseppe Rinaldi estate was founded in 1890 by Giuseppe Rinaldi in the Barolo comune of Langhe. Over the years Giuseppe acquired parcels in some of the greatest sites in the entire Barolo denomination in Brunate, Le Coste, and Ravera all of which are located in Barolo.

Giuseppe's son, Battista, a graduate of Alba’s enological school took over the estate in 1947 and further expanded the estate's vineyard holdings by purchasing a plot in the renowned Cannubi San Lorenzo. Battista was responsible for crafting arguably some of the greatest Barolo the world has ever seen, served as mayor of Barolo from 1970-1975, and made numerous contributions to the comune.

Battista passed away in 1992 and left the estate to his son Giuseppe, or “Beppe”, as many knew him by. Like his father, Beppe is considered by most to have been one of the greatest winemakers who’ve ever lived. Beppe, also known by locals as “Citrico”, meaning acidic, earned this title for his very outspoken, direct, straightforward, and blunt nature. Beppe, like his father, was a firm believer in crafting Barolo using exclusively classic, traditional methods. So much so that he, along with Bartolo Mascarello and Teobaldo Cappellano became affectionately known as “The Last of the Mohicans” for their tireless work defending the traditional ways of producing Barolo. For a brief history on the “Modernist” vs “Traditional” divide which took place in the 1980s and 1990s please visit our page on Bartolo Mascarello. If not for the efforts of Beppe, Teobaldo, and Bartolo, it’s possible that classically crafted Barolo would cease to exist today. In the vineyards, Beppe used no chemicals whatsoever other than limited amounts of copper and sulfur. In the cellar, spontaneous fermentation took place in wooden vats and aging was completed in very large old Slavonian casks. The only barrique in the cellar is the one which has been cut up and turned into a chair with a sign that reads “The Best Use for Barriques”. Up until 2010 Beppe produced two different Barolo, “Cannubi San Lorenzo – Ravera” and “Brunate – Le Coste”. Each of these Barolo were made from different blends of the estates' four vineyard sites. However, from 2010 onward it became no longer possible for Rinaldi to produce either of these wines due to new laws put in place by the EU. These laws dictate that only one vineyard name can be present on the wines’ label, not multiple. Since 2010 Rinaldi has been forced to alter the blend of their Barolo and now label their Barolo as “Barolo Brunate” and “Barolo Tre Tine”.

Eventually Beppe’s daughters Marta and Carlotta began working alongside their father, and when Beppe sadly passed away at the age of 69 in September 2018, the torch was passed to them. Today, Marta and Carlotta continue their family’s legacy, and turn out some of Langhe’s most magnificent wines.

Beginning with the 2019 vintage, Rinaldi added a third Barolo to their lineup known as “Barolo Bussia”. This Barolo is made from grapes grown in a parcel which they recently acquired in the lauded Bussia vineyard in Monforte. This is Rinaldi’s only plot not located in Barolo.

In addition to Barolo, Rinaldi produces beautiful examples of Dolcetto, Barbera, Langhe Nebbiolo, Fresia, and Ruche. Rinaldi’s Ruche, is produced in miniscule quantities, and isn’t exported to the United States. Ruche is a grape variety primarily grown in Monferrato, and to the best of our knowledge, Rinaldi is the only producer in Langhe who produces a wine from 100% Ruche. Rinaldi’s Ruche, which is labeled “Rosae”, is a magnificent representation of the grape, and is quite different from the examples we’ve tasted from Monferrato. Rinaldi also produces a wine which is a blend of all the aforementioned grape varieties called “Namaste”. Like Rosae, this wine is produced in extremely limited quantities. Each year Rinaldi selects a new charity to support, and 100% of the proceeds from Namaste go to this charity. The wine sells for just 10 EUR per bottle, and can only be purchased direct from the winery.

Our Visit to Giuseppe Rinaldi

Giuseppe Rinaldi was the first producer we visited during our trip to Langhe earlier this year. At cantina Giuseppe Rinaldi it’s as though time has stood still. It’s almost like a museum, if museums produced world class wines. The winery utilizes virtually no technology whatsoever. No modern day conveniences, winemaking equipment, or similar, can be found anywhere and as you can see by the photos it doesn't appear as though any renovations have been made. We imagine that in 1890 when the winery was founded, it looked fairly similar to how it does today. Here wines are produced year after year using nearly the same methods since the winery's founding, and we believe that’s part of what makes these wines so special.

Tasting Notes

2021 Langhe Nebbiolo: Made from Nebbiolo grown in Ravera and Bussia. Perfumed and floral, yet also quite masculine, with aromas of strawberries, peonies, tar, rose petals, anise, and crushed raspberries. The palate delivers flavors of tart cherries, strawberries, and rose petals, with super fine well integrated tannins and lively acidity. Very well balanced, extremely approachable and enjoyable today.

2019 Barolo Brunate: Made from 85% Brunate and 15% Le Coste. Beautiful pronounced aromas of cooked cherries, cherry preserves, roses and floral notes. Flavors of cherry juice, tart red fruit, jasmine, licorice, and hints of cherry tree sap. Soaring acidity leaves our mouths watering and coming back for more. Structured, yet very approachable, with tannins that are fine and integrated, but bracing. Incredible balance. Persistent finish. A beautiful Barolo which we suspect will age effortlessly for decades to come.

2019 Barolo Bussia: Made from Nebbiolo grown exclusively in Rinaldi’s newly acquired Bussia plot. Classic aromas of tar and roses, along with raspberries, strawberries, and some anise. Flavors of tart cherry juice, strawberries, raspberries, and tar, alongside fine, grippy, teeth coating tannins, with bright acidity.

Thank You

Thank you Carlotta for generously making time to see us, and for sharing your amazing wines with us. We understand how busy you are, and we greatly appreciate it. We hope to see you again soon.

Citations:

Barolo and Barbaresco: The King and Queen of Italian Wine by Kerin O’Keefe