Giuseppe 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… One of the 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.”– Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

Giuseppe Rinaldi hails from the esteemed sub-region of Piedmont, Barolo. Some of the most sought-after and pricey Nebbiolo wines in all of Italy, The Rinaldi family has been producing wine since the 1870s, but it wasn’t until the 1920s that Giuseppe left that family business to begin his own well-received label. Following Giuseppe’s death, his son Beppe took over the estate in 1992, and represents the fifth generation of his family to produce wine in Barolo. Because of the extremely traditionalist winemaking techniques that the producer uses and the organically farmed vines that he pulls his fruit from, the wines tend to be described as austere and thought-provoking. Rinaldi finds natural balance and harmony in his two blended wines that are made from four crus that are amazingly diverse from one another. Arguably the best known wine is the Brunate-Le Ciste which is more dark and powerful than the estate’s other Barolo which is a blend of Cannubi San Lorenzo and Ravera, which is described as more red-fruit forward with a full bouquet. Their revered portfolio also includes a Langhe Nebbiolo, a Barbera d’Alba and a red wine made from Freisa, a lesser known variety that originated in the Piedmont region.