Rinaldi

History of Giuseppe Rinaldi

The Rinaldi family has been cultivating vines in Barolo for several generations. Battista Rinaldi, the founder of the estate, tended the vines of the Marchese Falletti di Barolo before becoming the owner of a small farm, selling his grapes and then embarking on winemaking, with a cellar established as early as 1870. In the 1920s, grandfather Giuseppe Rinaldi acquired parcels in the most prestigious crus of the appellation — Brunate, Le Coste, Cannubi San Lorenzo and Ravera.

His son Battista continued the family work before passing the torch in 1992 to Giuseppe Rinaldi, known as Beppe. Nicknamed Citrico for his outspokenness, Beppe staunchly opposed the modernist trends of the 1980s and 1990s and championed the values of traditional Barolo — blends of terroirs, natural winemaking and long ageing in large foudres. Alongside figures such as Bartolo Mascarello and Teobaldo Cappellano, the estate became a benchmark. Beppe passed away in September 2018, and today his daughters Marta and Carlotta, supported by their mother Annalisa, carry on this legacy with the same integrity.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Giuseppe Rinaldi

The estate owns parcels in some of the most celebrated crus of Barolo. The cru of Brunate, in the commune of La Morra, and that of Le Coste, in Barolo, are the historic pillars of the house, complemented by Cannubi San Lorenzo, a jewel on the Cannubi hill in Barolo, and by Ravera, in the commune of Novello. More recently, the cru of Bussia, in Monforte d'Alba, has further enriched the estate's heritage.

These terroirs, with their calcareous and marly soils typical of the Langhe, impart complementary expressions to nebbiolo, from the dense power of Brunate to the floral grace of Cannubi and Ravera. The family remains faithful to the conviction that the greatest Barolos have always been blends of several sites, rather than single-parcel expressions. The vineyard is managed with the utmost respect for the land, true to the spirit of independence that defines the estate.

Winemaking at Giuseppe Rinaldi

Winemaking at Giuseppe Rinaldi is resolutely traditional. Fermentations take place in wooden vats, followed by a long ageing in large neutral oak foudres, with no use of French barriques or the shortened fermentation times favoured by modernists. The Barolo Tre Tine thus rests for approximately forty-two months in foudres before bottling.

This approach, inherited from Beppe's father and grandfather, yields wines that are pure, dense and complex, with firm tannins and a vibrant freshness that demand long cellaring to fully blossom. Following a regulatory change from the 2010 vintage onwards, which prohibited the mention of two crus on a single label, the estate reorganised its cuvées, isolating the Brunate and creating the Tre Tine blend to preserve the tradition of blending terroirs.

The cuvées of Giuseppe Rinaldi

Barolo Brunate: the estate's legendary and most powerful cuvée, composed predominantly of the Brunate cru with a portion of Le Coste, within the fifteen percent limit permitted by law. Deep, dense and structured, it is a Barolo of great ageing potential with aromas of dried rose, cherry, tar and fine spices.

Barolo Tre Tine: a name meaning three foudres, this blend of Le Coste, Cannubi San Lorenzo and Ravera is more floral, airy and refined. It expresses all the grace of nebbiolo, with a vibrant acidity and precise tannins, and succeeds the former Cannubi San Lorenzo Ravera cuvée.

Barolo Bussia: a more recent cuvée from the Bussia cru in Monforte d'Alba, which enriches the range with a new expression of terroir, faithful to the dense and profound style of the house.

Langhe Nebbiolo: an elegant and accessible introduction to the estate's philosophy, this seductive nebbiolo offers a foretaste of the Rinaldi style, with notes of red fruits and flowers, in a more immediately approachable expression.

Barbera d'Alba: an expressive and indulgent wine, with vibrant fruit and a lively acidity, which faithfully reflects the house style and pairs beautifully with Piedmontese cuisine.

Dolcetto d'Alba: a convivial and immediately approachable red, with aromas of black fruits and supple tannins, to be enjoyed for its youthfulness and generosity.

Freisa: a red wine made from the freisa autochthonous grape variety, a relative of nebbiolo, little known and full of character, which illustrates the richness of the Piedmontese viticultural heritage and the domaine aux traditional varieties.