Giuseppe Rinaldi 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.
Wines:
Barolo
Barolo 'Cannubi San Lorenzo-Ravera'
Barolo 'Brunate-Le Coste'
Langhe Nebbiolo
Langhe Freisa
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Region:
Piemonte
DOC(G)s:
Barolo
Langhe Nebbiolo
Langhe Freisa
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