Vintage Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tasting at Cafe Maxx

We just recieved a nice collection of one of our favorite producers Barolos so we thought it was time to put together a Giuseppe Rinaldi vertical tasting at Cafe Maxx to showcase eight vintages of this legendary vintners wines.  

Chef Oliver Saucy will be making a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines and then we will be ordering off the menu for dinner.  This tasting is limited to 15 tasters and the fee for this tasting is $250 per person All Inclusive, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Vintage Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tasting at Cafe Maxx Friday, October 17th 7:00pm

2008 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste

(96 points) Endless layers of dark, balsamic-infused fruit emerge from the 2008 Barolo Brunate-Le Coste. Tar, licorice spices and plums develop in the glass. Where the Cannubi/S. Lorenzo is seductive, the Brunate-Le Coste is all about power. Virile and imposing, the 2008 is likely to require another decade to start showing its true personality, but the truth is, it is already highly appealing. Violets, menthol, tar and rose petals are just some of the many notes that burst from this super-classic Barolo. The 2008 Brunate-Le Coste is another dazzling wine from Beppe Rinaldi and his daughter Marta. It is easily among the very best wines of the year. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2038. Wine Advocate #203, Oct 2012

2007 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste

(96 points) The 2007 Barolo Brunate-Le Coste is a regal, aristocratic Barolo. Firm tannins keep some of the extroverted qualities of the vintage in check. This shows marvelous inner minerality and coolness, with deep layers of fruit, menthol, licorice and tar that fill out the wine’s broad shouldered frame. The Brunte-Le Coste shuts down pretty quickly in the glass, suggesting it may be headed for a period of dormancy. Today, it is flat-out stunning. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2038. Wine Advocate #197, Oct 2011

2006 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste

(97 points) The 2006 Barolo Brunate-Le Coste flows from the glass with tons of dark fruit wrapped around a deep, muscular core. I am too young to have tasted the 1989 when it was first released, but I imagine it might very well have been like this. The sheer density of the fruit is remarkable, while the wine’s balance is first-rate. With time, sweet balsamic mentholated notes appear, along with spices, violets, leather and licorice, all supported by the wine’s muscular, broad-shouldered frame. This is a classic among classics and a must-have wine for anyone serious about great Barolo. The more it sat in the glass, the more I loved it. Anticipated maturity: 2026-2046. Wine Advocate #192 Dec 2010

2005 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste Price: $161.25    Sale $141.90    Case $1645

The 2005 Barolo Brunate/Le Coste presents a darker shade of red fruit along with a more muscular, dense personality. This too is a relatively soft style for Rinaldi, and while some of the complexity of the finest vintages appears to be lacking, the wine nevertheless offers compelling balance and harmony. 92 pts Galloni

2005 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Cannubi San Lorenzo Price: $161.25    Sale $141.90    Case $1645

The 2005 Barolo Cannubi S. Lorenzo/Ravera is a surprisingly, open, accessible Barolo from Giuseppe Rinaldi. Dried cherries, tobacco, spices and flowers come together in a round, sensual style. The wine reveals outstanding length and dusty tannins on the finish. 91 pts Galloni

2003 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste Price: $161.25    Sale $141.90    Case $1645

Rinaldi's 2003 Barolo Brunate/Le Coste is deeply flavored and intense, with more than enough fruit to balance its tannic structure. The character balsamic notes that are typical of this wine literally jump out of the glass.  This seriously long and powerful Barolo is also remarkably accessible and is a great introduction to one of Piedmont's great wines. When tasted separately the different qualities of the two vineyards are striking. Brunate provides the muscle and complexity, while Le Coste gives the wine a measure of softness. 92 pts Galloni

2001 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste Price: $240.00    Sale $211.20

(95 Points) The 2001 Barolo Brunate-Le Coste is big, plush and totally inviting. Layers of dark, balsamic-infused fruit blossom in the glass as this deep, spherical wine shows off its pedigree. There is little question the wine’s best days lie in the future. Readers who own the 2001 are in for a treat. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2031.

It has been a few years since I tasted Beppe Rinaldi’s 2001s. Both wines confirmed their place among the most successful wines of the vintage. As I have written many times, Rinaldi is the producer who adheres most closely to all of the tenets of the traditional school in Barolo.  eRobertParker.com #200, Apr 2012

1994 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste Price: $206.25    Sale $181.50    Case $2104

Wine should still be drinking nicely not a great vintage for the Piedmont but this is a great producer and it is Barolo!!

  Chef Oliver Saucy will be making a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines and then we will be ordering off the menu for dinner.  This tasting is limited to 15 tasters and the fee for this tasting is $250 per person All Inclusive, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Antonio Galloni on Guiseppe Rinaldi:

"Beppe" Rinaldi is one of Piedmont’s most iconic producers. Historically his bottles have been hard to find because they are mostly sold to private individuals rather than the trade, meaning that large lots are nearly impossible to come by. These are among the most natural, unmanipulated wines being made anywhere. At times past vintages have shown some rough edges and excessive amount of volatile acidity, but those traits seem to belong to the past, as today’s wines are cleaner and better made. My recent visit was illuminating as I tasted everything in barrel from vintages 2004 through 2007. The rigorously traditional style is alive and well in these cellars. The wines are fermented in an open-top wood vat using natural yeasts. Temperature is not mechanically controlled. The wines see a longish fermentation/maceration and are aged in cask. Although Rinaldi has changed out a few barrels recently, the only concession to anything resembling modernity is an old-fashioned rotary telephone, which seems to genuinely annoy him each time it rings. Yields here have never been particularly low but the trend towards warmer growing seasons has resulted in beautifully ripe and fragrant fruit, particularly in recent years. One of things I admire most about Rinaldi is that he just goes about his business as he always has. He doesn’t give a hoot what I, or anyone else for that matter, thinks about his wines, and that suits him just fine. Prices have barely budged since I began visiting years ago. Rinaldi told me he thought generally pricing had gone out of hand. "It is, after all, just wine," he said.

One of the most amazing things about these wines is the fact that they are made essentially the same way that they have been made for decades.  The fermentation occurs in open-top tini, with punching down occurring on a daily basis and the task is usually preformed by hand and aging in large oak casks for three or more years.  Wine Advocate # 179, Oct 2008

Updated Notes:  Law Changes and Rinaldi

The major thing I wanted you to  know is that the wine we've known as BRUNATE-LE COSTE was made from 60% of Brunate and 40% of Le Coste fruit. That wine is now simply labeled as BRUNATE and is now an 85% Brunate, 15% Le Coste split. A BRUNATE labeled Barolo can only add a maximum of 15% non-Brunate fruit, per the new law. You cannot have two vineyard names on a label any longer in Barolo. If you produce your wine that way, you must create a "fantasy name" (i.e. "Tre Tine").. The production is now much less on this bottling from Rinaldi, I do not have exact numbers but I know that we are now getting a significantly lower percentage of cases imported to the US.

The wine we've known as CANNUBI-SAN LORENZO / RAVERA has historically been a blend of those two vineyards. Now, beginning with the 2010 vintage  that bottling is now called "TRE TINE" which means "three vats" and is a blend of those two areas (50% Ravera, 30% Cannubi/San Lorenzo  PLUS 20% of fruit from Le Coste)