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Alongside his friend Bartolo Mascarello, Giuseppe Rinaldi stood as one of the great traditional Barolo makers. Though both Bartolo and Giuseppe, or Beppe, have passed away, both estates remain dedicated to crafting long-aging, serious Barolo wines, and both are helmed by daughters. Known to his peers as "Citrico," or the acid one, Beppe held strong opinions, and he stayed true to them. Beppe believed in growing his grapes organically, and though he was one of the founders of ViniVeri, the natural Italian wine consortium, he never bothered to get his wines certified organic. Despite the fad for cru expressions — and despite owning parcels in three of Barolo's best sites, Cannubi, Brunate, Le Coste, and Ravera — Beppe believed in the primacy of blended Barolo. Turning his back on fashion, Beppe had a barrique turned into a chair, affixing a sign that said announced it as the only good use for barrique. Above all, Beppe believed in a Barolo made to age so long that it was never ready to drink, and he made them as his grandfather did, fermenting in tini, or tall oak vats, eschewing temperature control, relying on manual punch downs, and aging his wines in giant botti for years. After his passing, Beppe's daughters, Carlotta and Marta, assumed control of the estate, and they continue to make wines that their father, their grandfather, and their great-grandfather would recognize. Giuseppe Rinaldi crafts serious, timeless, remarkable Barolo, Barbera, Langhe Nebbiolo and other quintessentially Piemontese bottlings — some things will never change, and for this, the wine world is grateful. |
