Wine Advisor
Giuseppe Rinaldi, Barolo Brunate Le Coste 2001
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
2001 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste (from barrel)—Lots of spice and licorice on the nose. The palate full and layered with very ripe fruit, minerals, conveying a relatively round and supple profile for the vintage and the producer. (91-93) points, 12/04 Rinaldi makes two Barolos, both of which are made from blends of grapes from two vineyards. “I don’t believe in the idea of labeling vineyards as first-class, second-class, third-class and so forth,” Rinaldi explains. “In the past, we always made Barolo by blending grapes from different vineyards with different characteristics and positions. For example, we would use grapes from La Morra and Barolo to give elegance, and grapes from Serralunga or Castiglione Falletto to give structure. The resulting wine had a balance of acidity, body and tannins with a lot of overall harmony. That is the real tradition. It is no coincidence that in very hot years like 2000 and 2003, the best wines come from so-called ‘second-class’ vineyards.” Rinaldi’s two Barolos are Brunate/LeCoste and Cannubi(San Lorenzo)/Ravera. The better known of the wines is the Brunate/Le Coste, which is available in larger quantities. The wine is made from a blend of about 60% Brunate fruit and 40% Le Coste fruit. The less well known, though no less important, wine is the Cannubi(San Lorenzo)/Ravera, which is produced in much smaller quantities and is therefore harder to find. The vines at Cannubi are in the San Lorenzo section, where soils are sandy and the wines generally lighter in color, and more delicate and aromatic in flavor. The Barolos are made in a rigorously traditional fashion. Fermentation and maceration take place in a 100-year-old open top wood vat for 20-30 days, without temperature control or the use of selected yeasts. The wines are aged for three and a half years exclusively in cask. In most vintages the Brunate/Le Coste is the bigger, rounder, more masculine wine while the Cannubi(San Lorenzo)/Ravera is typically the more aromatic, feminine and accessible of the two Barolos.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2001 Barolo Brunate-Le Coste is big, plush and totally inviting. Layers of dark, balsamic-infused fruit blossom in the glass as this deep, spherical wine shows off its pedigree. There is little question the wine’s best days lie in the future. Readers who own the 2001 are in for a treat. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2031. It has been a few years since I tasted Beppe Rinaldi’s 2001s. Both wines confirmed their place among the most successful wines of the vintage. As I have written many times, Rinaldi is the producer who adheres most closely to all of the tenets of the traditional school in Barolo. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Rinaldi has produced a gem in his 2001 Barolo Brunate / Le Coste, which announces itself with an explosive nose of violets, spices, licorice, tar and sweet fruit. On the palate it offers much length and elegance in its layers of fruit, with the distinctly balsamic quality that is the hallmark of the wines from the Brunate cru. Those who appreciate traditionally made wines will not want to miss this outstanding effort, which is sure to age gracefully for several decades. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2031. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2001 Barolo Brunate-Le Coste is big, plush and totally inviting. Layers of dark, balsamic-infused fruit blossom in the glass as this deep, spherical wine shows off its pedigree. There is little question the wine's best days lie in the future. Readers who own the 2001 are in for a treat.
About the Producer
The story of the Rinaldi winery begins with its founder, Battista Rinaldi, who in the nineteenth century was a farmer and tended to some vineyards owned by Marchese Falletti di Barolo. Eventually, he became the owner of a small farm and started selling the grapes he produced. With his children, he began making wine, and the family tradition was passed down from father to son until the current owners, Giuseppe Rinaldi and his daughter Marta Rinaldi. Giuseppe Rinaldi, a renowned winemaker, passed away in 2018, leaving the company in the capable hands of his daughter Marta, a graduate winemaker from the Alba school who had worked alongside her father in the vineyards and cellar for many years. The Rinaldi winery owns over 10 hectares of vineyards, including some of the most famous crus of Barolo, such as Brunate, Cannubi-San Lorenzo, and Ravera. The winery has always been a point of reference for the Barolo territory, producing classic, deep wines that age beautifully and reflect the unique terroir in which they were born. The Barolo Rinaldi is one of the winery's flagship products, sought after by connoisseurs and collectors, especially the Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo 2010. Marta manages the vineyards with a deep respect for the environment and the traditions of the territory. The vineyards are managed naturally, with a rigorous approach that never forgets the fundamental importance of rural culture. The management of the vineyards and the vinification follow traditional Langa philosophies, with a focus on naturalness and respect for the varietal characteristics of the vines. The wine undergoes long macerations on the skins in open truncated cone vats and is aged in large Slavonian oak casks. The winemaking process involves the use of natural yeasts and maceration in wooden vats, aging in large oak barrels, and the use of sulfur dioxide. The total SO2 in the bottle is 50mg/l.
