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What is there to say about Giuseppe Rinaldi that hasn’t already been said? Not a whole lot. A veterinarian by trade, Giuseppe (known as ‘Beppe’ to many) took over his fifth-generation family estate in 1992 and in the ensuing years solidified the label as a bastion of tradition and one of the most glorified in Barolo. Since Beppe’s passing in 2018, the estate has been run by his wife, Alessia, and their daughters, Marta and Carlotta.
We’re incredibly fortunate to have received an itty-bitty allocation of four new 2022 release wines for pre-sale yet again this year. While nebbiolo may be Piedmont’s north star variety, these four wines offer a look at some of the region’s other all-star reds, brought to life by some of the most exacting, meticulous hands in the business.
The 2022 Barbera d’Alba is a superlative example of another of the region’s workhorse varietals – dense with dark cherry character, ample red fruit and dried-violet perfume, hints of spice, leather and woody balsamic poking through. Structure and poise in spades here, as well as an enviable balance of tannin and acid – anything but garden-variety barbera, in other words.
Compared to nebbiolo and barbera, dolcetto is often perceived as an afterthought, but it can be a thing of real beauty is it is in Rinaldi's 2022 Dolcetto d’Alba. We’re firmly entrenched in the purple-to-black end of the fruit spectrum here, lent real interest from touches of liquorice, cloves, almonds and a mushroomy twang. Pure, poised and svelte, with a real sense of flow and drive.
Diehard fans know the Rosae is something of a dark horse in the Rinaldi stable, and the 2022 is no exception to that rule. Made from lesser-known, autochthonous ruché grape, this is about as bright, buoyant and youthful as Piedmontese red gets: macerated raspberries, wild strawberries, sour cherries and floral lift up the wazoo. Puts the serious in seriously fun, and takes to a light chill like a duck to water.
Freisa? You may not even know her! But you should. A close relative of nebbiolo, this is one of the region’s great unsung heroes and always a treat from the Rinaldi family. A wave of red plums, Morello cherries and sweet spice, albeit with more intricacies under the hood – wild fennel, alpine herbs and toasted hazelnuts. A proper charmer if there were ever one. |
