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Known to his peers as "Citrico," or the acerbic one, Giuseppe Rinaldi, who died in 2018, held fast to his strong opinions. 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. Literally turning his back on fashion, Beppe had a barrique turned into a chair, affixing a sign saying that this was the only good use for barrique. Above all, Beppe believed in traditional, ultra-long-aging Barolo, and he made his wine as his grandfather did, fermenting in tini, or tall oak vats, using no 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. |
