Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo "Brunate" DOCG 2017
(Piedmont, Italy) [WE 98, #53 Top 100 '22] [WS 96] [DM 95] [VM 95] [WA 95]
Regular price $460.00 Sale price $397.97 Save $62.03
About the Winemaker:
Giuseppe Rinaldi has a unique way of seeing the world and a presence that makes a lasting impression. An overarching respect for tradition and a fascination with history seem to drive his thoughts and, in turn, his wines. Beppe's personal history goes back five generations to the late 19th century, when his family and so many others sold the fruit of their vineyards to the Falletti family. The first Rinaldi winery (which is still running today under Luciano Rinaldi) was acquired in 1870 from the Falletti's estate manager, but in the 1920s Giuseppe Rinaldi, grandfather of the current owner, established his own estate with vineyards in Barolo's best sites: Cannubi, Brunate, Le Coste, and Ravera. Giuseppe's son Battista later took over the winery and developed their cellar techniques to boost quality; when he passed away in 1992 his son, also named Giuseppe, left his career as a veterinarian to carry on the family work.
When discussing Barolo, Beppe can't help but wax poetic about past generations of local winemakers. Tradition is a constant theme in his thoughts, and he mourns the special connection with the land that he believes has been eradicated by technology. Living more slowly and closer to the land than is possible now begot contemplation and more penetrating observation. The ideas and insights that came to the forefathers of Barolo in this manner forged routines in the vineyard, and cellar work, too, was merely an extension of their communal wisdom.
As a traditional - although certainly not conventional - winemaker, Beppe sees blends as the ultimate expression of Barolo. Every vineyard site, he points out, will have shortcomings, especially in vintages that mesh less well with the character of the land. Past generations loved the creativity and individuality of blends, and even their Cru labeled wines were often laced with non-cru fruit in order to enhance the still apparent vineyard character. Rinaldi is happiest in the vineyard, close to nature; he will tell you that cellar work is an uncomplicated process that requires no degree or wit, but simply patient attention. His techniques are not precisely calculated, but rather follow tradition and instinct, as with his continued use of large wood vats for fermentation: he muses that stainless steel could be better but finds old wood more pleasurable, and the results are unimpeachable. Each bottle of Barolo is also given more breadth and acidity through a ripasso in which Barbera skins are added to the Nebbiolo must, a practice that Giuseppe explains is (and always has been) common but which is never spoken of today. His Barolos are made for long aging, so much so that his dream is that they should never be ready to drink.
Ratings & Reviews
98 Points, #53 Top 100 Cellar Selections Of 2022 - Wine Enthusiast
Giuseppe Rinaldi has a unique way of seeing the world and a presence that makes a lasting impression. An overarching respect for tradition and a fascination with history seem to drive his thoughts and, in turn, his wines. Beppe's personal history goes back five generations to the late 19th century, when his family and so many others sold the fruit of their vineyards to the Falletti family. The first Rinaldi winery (which is still running today under Luciano Rinaldi) was acquired in 1870 from the Falletti's estate manager, but in the 1920s Giuseppe Rinaldi, grandfather of the current owner, established his own estate with vineyards in Barolo's best sites: Cannubi, Brunate, Le Coste, and Ravera. Giuseppe's son Battista later took over the winery and developed their cellar techniques to boost quality; when he passed away in 1992 his son, also named Giuseppe, left his career as a veterinarian to carry on the family work.
When discussing Barolo, Beppe can't help but wax poetic about past generations of local winemakers. Tradition is a constant theme in his thoughts, and he mourns the special connection with the land that he believes has been eradicated by technology. Living more slowly and closer to the land than is possible now begot contemplation and more penetrating observation. The ideas and insights that came to the forefathers of Barolo in this manner forged routines in the vineyard, and cellar work, too, was merely an extension of their communal wisdom.
As a traditional - although certainly not conventional - winemaker, Beppe sees blends as the ultimate expression of Barolo. Every vineyard site, he points out, will have shortcomings, especially in vintages that mesh less well with the character of the land. Past generations loved the creativity and individuality of blends, and even their Cru labeled wines were often laced with non-cru fruit in order to enhance the still apparent vineyard character. Rinaldi is happiest in the vineyard, close to nature; he will tell you that cellar work is an uncomplicated process that requires no degree or wit, but simply patient attention. His techniques are not precisely calculated, but rather follow tradition and instinct, as with his continued use of large wood vats for fermentation: he muses that stainless steel could be better but finds old wood more pleasurable, and the results are unimpeachable. Each bottle of Barolo is also given more breadth and acidity through a ripasso in which Barbera skins are added to the Nebbiolo must, a practice that Giuseppe explains is (and always has been) common but which is never spoken of today. His Barolos are made for long aging, so much so that his dream is that they should never be ready to drink.
Ratings & Reviews
98 Points, #53 Top 100 Cellar Selections Of 2022 - Wine Enthusiast
"It'll need a few minutes in the glass but then this stunning wine takes flight, revealing enticing scents of wild berries, violet and camphor. The palate is still youthfully austere, delivering red cherry, blood orange, licorice and dark baking spice and a hint of tobacco set against firm but well integrated tannins. It has great energy and youthful tension. Drink 2027–2042.
96 Points - Wine Spectator:
"A fresh, aromatic and expressive red, featuring rose, strawberry, cherry, raspberry and mint flavors, with a slight hint of mineral. Firms up, with taut, refined tannins and bright acidity—a good sign for aging. Balanced and long overall. Best from 2024 through 2040. 600 cases made, 110 cases imported." - BS (web only 2021)
95 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"There are about 175 metres between the lowest and the highest plots within Brunate. Rinaldi's lie in the lower part, with a slightly easterly exposure but mostly south-facing. A super-classic Barolo, it has fresh violet, wild strawberry, liquorice and smoky tones on the nose. Firm yet graceful with good - if not great - concentration and length, it combines tight-knit acidity with strawberry and blood orange flavours - a vibrant palate despite the dry vintage, which is only perceived in its slightly biting finish." - Aldo Fiordelli (Mar 2021)
95 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"Keeping in line with the personality of the vintage, the 2017 Barolo Brunate is open and deeply expressive on first nose, with inviting waves of dark fruit, pressed violet, rust and licorice that add considerably to the lifted intensity of the bouquet. This Brunate puts its power and its deep, inner elegance right out there for you to enjoy. However, it also promises better things to those willing to wait for the wine to complete its bottle evolution over the coming decades. The palate is delicately lean, but long and polished, with important tannic fiber at the back. The 2017 growing season offered no moisture during the hottest weeks of summer, yet these tenacious grapevines and their extended root systems found a way to survive and thrive." - Monica Larner (Sep 2021)
95 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2017 Barolo Brunate is a dark, powerful wine. A huge swath of tannins gives the Brunate its feeling of gravitas. Readers will have to be patient with the 2017, as it is going to need a number of years to come together. Dark cherry fruit, lavender, sage, licorice, spice and earthy notes build into a crescendo of aromas and flavors that is just captivating. The 2017 finishes with tremendous substance and intensity, both of which bode so well for the future." - Antonio Galloni (Feb 2021)
"Keeping in line with the personality of the vintage, the 2017 Barolo Brunate is open and deeply expressive on first nose, with inviting waves of dark fruit, pressed violet, rust and licorice that add considerably to the lifted intensity of the bouquet. This Brunate puts its power and its deep, inner elegance right out there for you to enjoy. However, it also promises better things to those willing to wait for the wine to complete its bottle evolution over the coming decades. The palate is delicately lean, but long and polished, with important tannic fiber at the back. The 2017 growing season offered no moisture during the hottest weeks of summer, yet these tenacious grapevines and their extended root systems found a way to survive and thrive." - Monica Larner (Sep 2021)
95 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2017 Barolo Brunate is a dark, powerful wine. A huge swath of tannins gives the Brunate its feeling of gravitas. Readers will have to be patient with the 2017, as it is going to need a number of years to come together. Dark cherry fruit, lavender, sage, licorice, spice and earthy notes build into a crescendo of aromas and flavors that is just captivating. The 2017 finishes with tremendous substance and intensity, both of which bode so well for the future." - Antonio Galloni (Feb 2021)