Francesco Rinaldi "Brunate" Barolo DOCG, 2017

“The 2017 Barolo Brunate shows off its brawn and size. Firm, muscular tannins wrap around a core of sweet red berry fruit, iron, dried herbs, licorice, tobacco and brambly, earthy notes. I would give the 2017 at least a handful of years in bottle.” 94 Points, Antonio Galloni, February 2021

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From our importer:

Any connoisseur of the wines of Piemonte will tell you that Cannubi and Brunate are the two most important sites of the village of Barolo, and some of the most important of the entire zone. The historic house of Francesco Rinaldi, one of the oldest of Barolo, (the entire zone) established in 1870 is supplying us with the last cards necessary for a “Royal Flush”of Barolo Vineyards. With 2.4 Hectares in Cannubi, 2 in Brunate and 3 more made of small slices of Sarmassa and Vignane (also in Barolo), Rocche dell’Anunziata in La Morra and Codana in Castiglione Falletto, the viticultural patrimony of this most historic of houses is impressive. The house style is and always has been VERY traditional. Back in the ’93, ’95 and ’96 vintages when we were selling these wines in the past, that could mean some serious tannins. Without changing much at all in the cellar but employing better farming techniques to get these old vine nebbiolo grapes fully phenolically ripe, today these wines are quite elegant while retaining their characteristic power. Or maybe it is that after 4 generations of making Barolo, today the estate is run by two sisters, Paola and Piera, which in my experience often leads to wines of greater elegance.

“This is a gorgeous set of Barolos from Francesco Rinaldi, one of many historic estates that has gone through a serious upswing in quality in recent years. Paola Rinaldi told me the Barolo harvest took place over five consecutive days, starting on October 5, first in Brunate and wrapping up with Cannubi. Winemaking remains pretty traditional. The straight Barolo is fermented in cement, while the vineyard designates are done in steel. After fermentation, the wines spend about two months in tank to settle, and are then moved into cask, where they spend about three years prior to bottling. Rinaldi fans can look forward to a new Barolo from Rocche dell'Annunziata, in La Morra, from fruit that previously went into the straight Barolo."