2018 Giuseppe Rinaldi, Barbera d’Alba DOC, Piemonte, Italy.
Of course, Giuseppe Rinaldi is one of the most sought after labels in Italy and a producer of coveted and rare Barolo, which I cannot afford these days, but just like other top Barolo makers there is their Dolcetto and Barbera bottlings that are the outstanding values, and this 2018 Rinaldi is just what the doctor ordered, even though not cheap by any means. As much as I love Nebbiolo, I love Barbera, so I was thrilled when a friend opened this beauty with a home cooked pasta meal recently, it brought joy and rustic charm to an evening of serious wine tasting and never once the lesser on the night. the 2018, with some age, shows off a minty and earthy character with brandied cherries, dark plum, briar laced Marionberry and currant fruits, along with hints of leather, pipe tobacco, bay leaf, dried flowers, cedar and balsamic notes. Rinaldi believes his wines should not be ones that pleases easily, especially his Barolo, rather he hopes his wines are austere or severe, so that they demand research. He says It takes time for a great wine to seduce and reveal its complexity, maybe like foreplay and you can see that even in this Barbera. While not as firm or austere as Nebbiolo, this is pretty serious and savory stuff and a bucket list Barbera for those that admire this grape, sadly it is none to easy to get, but not as hard as the Barolo and worth the chase.
The ultra traditionalist, Giuseppe Rinaldi, or Bebbe, represents the fifth generation of this historic winemaking family to work the vines here in the heart of Barolo, when he took charge of the estate when his legendary father Battista passed away in 1992. Rinaldi pays respect for his ancestors and the land by farming organically, and he ferments with the indigenous yeasts in his father’s and grandfather’s ancient tini—tall upright oak vats—without temperature control. with his Barolo seeing about a month of on skin maceration, he punches down by hand and ages in old botti grandi for 3 ½ years. Intriguingly, I learned that, Rinaldi like Maria-Teresa Mascarello, and her late father Bartolo, is a fierce adherent to the tradition of blending Barolo from different sites, instead of individual vineyards as is most common now. He has old-vine holdings in some of Barolo’s greatest crus, including Ravera, Cannubi and Brunate, but still he makes no single-cru Barolo bottlings. Beppe is widely quoted as saying that this, blending from different crus, is how the previous generations obtained a natural balance and harmony in Barolo, and, for him, it is still the perfect method to make his top wine. For the Barbera, Rinaldi fermented it spontaneously, then maceration on the skins in steel for about 2 weeks, after which the wine aged for 12 months in 33HL Slavonian oak casks, giving the wine a real depth of character and what a treat to enjoy. This is not an everyday Barbera, but this grape can be truly great, as seen here.
($79 Est.) 94 points, grapelive