Giuseppe Rinaldi

The Rinaldi family's winemaking roots in Barolo trace to 1870, when Giovanni Battista Rinaldi and his wife Ludovica Barale established the Barale & Rinaldi estate at the Boschis farmhouse atop the Cannubi hill. In the 1920s, following a division of family holdings among heirs, Giuseppe Rinaldi (grandfather of Beppe) established the independent Giuseppe Rinaldi winery, purchasing the vineyards in Brunate, Le Coste, Cannubi San Lorenzo, and Ravera that the estate retains to this day. The winery building was constructed above the Le Coste vineyard just outside the town of Barolo. Battista Rinaldi, a trained enologist and later mayor of Barolo from 1970 to 1975, took over from his father in the 1940s before passing the estate to his son Beppe in 1992. Marta and Carlotta Rinaldi, the sixth generation, assumed full responsibility after Beppe's passing in September 2018.

• Family estate roots to 1870 as Barale & Rinaldi; Giuseppe Rinaldi (grandfather) established eponymous winery and released first vintage in 1921
• Battista Rinaldi, trained enologist and mayor of Barolo (1970-1975), ran the estate from the 1940s until 1992
• Beppe Rinaldi, veterinarian turned winemaker, led the estate 1992 to 2018; died September 2, 2018, aged 69
• Sixth-generation sisters Marta (enologist) and Carlotta (agronomist) now lead the estate alongside their mother Annalisa

The estate owns 6.1 hectares in total, with 3.8 hectares planted to Nebbiolo for Barolo production. All four original cru holdings lie within the commune of Barolo: Brunate, Le Coste, Cannubi San Lorenzo, and Ravera. Soils vary meaningfully across the holdings: Brunate is characterized by deep, marl-rich soils that contribute power and density, while Le Coste and Cannubi San Lorenzo feature sandier soils with a high proportion of active limestone, giving wines a more aromatic, lighter-structured character. Beginning with the 2019 vintage, the estate also produces a Barolo from a leased parcel in Bussia Sottana, the only southwest-facing plot in the portfolio, with Tortonian soils of loam, sand, and clay. All viticulture is practiced organically, without certification, using only copper, sulfur, and manure.

• 6.1 hectares owned; 3.8 hectares Nebbiolo for Barolo in Brunate, Le Coste, Cannubi San Lorenzo, and Ravera, all within Barolo commune
• Brunate: deep marl-rich soils; Le Coste and Cannubi: sandier, active-limestone soils with excellent drainage
• Bussia Sottana parcel (leased, first vintage 2019): southwest-facing Tortonian soils; the sole non-south-facing holding
• Fully organic viticulture (uncertified); copper, sulfur, and manure only; no synthetic chemicals

Rinaldi's cellar methods are among the most deliberately traditional in Barolo. Fermentation takes place in tall upright wooden vats (tini), some of chestnut wood and among the oldest in the region, using only indigenous yeasts and with no temperature control, over a period of approximately one month. Wines then age a minimum of 3.5 years in large, old Slavonian oak botti, imparting negligible oak flavor while permitting slow oxidative development. No fining agents are used, and filtration is minimal to none before bottling. Prior to the 2010 MGA labeling rule change, the estate produced Brunate-Le Coste (approximately 60% Brunate, 40% Le Coste) and Cannubi San Lorenzo-Ravera. From 2010 onward, Brunate became an 85% Brunate, 15% Le Coste blend under the single-MGA rule, while the new blend Tre Tine (meaning 'three vats') combined remaining Le Coste, Cannubi San Lorenzo, and Ravera. With the 2019 vintage, a third Barolo from the Bussia Sottana parcel was introduced.

• Fermentation in ancient wooden tini with indigenous yeasts, no temperature control, approximately one month maceration
• Minimum 3.5 years aging in large, old Slavonian oak botti; no new oak, no fining, minimal filtration
• Pre-2010: Brunate-Le Coste and Cannubi San Lorenzo-Ravera; from 2010: Brunate (85% Brunate, 15% Le Coste) and Tre Tine (blend of Le Coste, Cannubi San Lorenzo, Ravera)
• Third Barolo, Bussia, introduced with the 2019 vintage from a leased parcel in Bussia Sottana

Young Rinaldi Barolos are austere and mineral-driven, with high-toned aromatics of rose petal, tar, dried cherry, and crushed stone, alongside firm, fine-grained tannins that demand patience. The Brunate tends to be the more powerful and denser of the two flagship wines, while Tre Tine is distinctly more aromatic and delicate, with brighter red fruit and floral character. With time, secondary and tertiary complexity emerges: leather, tobacco, dried herbs, truffle, and an increasingly silken tannic texture. These are wines built for long cellaring, typically requiring a decade or more before achieving harmony, and capable of evolving gracefully for 20 or more years in ideal conditions. Antonio Galloni has described them as 'reference-point wines' for understanding traditional Barolo.

• Youth (0-8 years): austere, high acidity, rose, tar, dried cherry, firm fine-grained tannins; substantial decanting recommended
• Brunate: denser and more powerful; Tre Tine: more aromatic, floral, and delicate in structure
• Maturity (10+ years): leather, tobacco, truffle, dried herbs, silken tannins, profound complexity
• Aging potential 20 or more years for top vintages; among the longest-lived wines in Barolo

While the two flagship Barolos (and now the Bussia) command the most attention, the estate produces a range of wines from other Piedmontese varieties grown on the estate. The Langhe Nebbiolo offers an earlier-drinking expression of the grape, while the Barbera d'Alba and Freisa showcase other local varieties with characteristic acidity and aromatic precision. A parcel of Ruche is vinified as Rosea, and a multi-variety house blend called Namaste is also produced, with each bottle sold donating ten euros to support local underprivileged communities. These wines are produced in small quantities and rarely seen outside Italy.

• Langhe Nebbiolo: earlier-drinking, secondary Nebbiolo bottling from estate fruit
• Barbera d'Alba and Freisa: traditional Piedmontese varieties vinified with the same minimal-intervention philosophy
• Rosea: a varietal Ruche from a preserved estate parcel; a rare expression of this native variety
• Namaste: a house blend of native varieties; each bottle sold donates ten euros to local community causes

Beppe Rinaldi was widely regarded as one of the last great defenders of traditional Barolo, alongside the late Bartolo Mascarello and Teobaldo Cappellano. Known to his peers as 'Citrico' for his sharp wit and uncompromising directness, he was a vocal critic of modernizing trends in the region including the use of French barriques, short macerations, and single-vineyard wines. His philosophical commitment to blending multiple crus as the path to balance and complexity was rooted in respect for generations of predecessors. Under Marta and Carlotta, the estate maintains the same traditional philosophy while bringing technical precision and a new generation's perspective. The wines remain among the most sought-after and allocated in Barolo, distributed to private collectors and specialist merchants worldwide.

• Beppe nicknamed 'Citrico' (the acidic one) for his wit and outspoken defense of traditional Barolo against modernizing trends
• Philosophical commitment to blending multiple crus; no single-vineyard Barolo has ever been produced
• Marta and Carlotta maintain the same traditional philosophy; style has remained true since 2018 transition
• Wines distributed internationally via specialist importers and merchants; among the most allocated in Barolo