2009 Barolo Brunate

This fabulous dinner was a nice break from my recent tastings of new releases from Sonoma. COVID-19 disrupted so many routines, including what used to be frequent trips to San Francisco. As readers know, the city has changed in recent years as it grapples with deep economic and social issues. Even so, San Francisco is a city I love.

This recent retrospective of Giuseppe Rinaldi’s Barolo Brunate from magnum going back to 1990 was special for so many reasons, most notably the rarity of the bottles we opened. Gordon Ramsay’s maze was the setting for what turned out to be a truly unforgettable evening.

Rinaldi is now getting a major assist from his two daughters, Marta and Carlotta, who have both had wine experience outside Italy.While Marta was a bit more organized in presenting the family's new wines than her more casual father usually is, she made it clear that her philosophy is in line with his ultra-traditional winemaking style.Incidentally, Rinaldi will have some decisions to make about how he will label (and perhaps even blend) his Barolos beginning with the 2010 vintage due to the recent changes in labeling regulations.

Father and daughter team Beppe and Marta Rinaldi have done a magnificent job with their 2009s, wines that sit at the pinnacle in this tricky vintage. Rinaldi fans will want to note that 2009 is the last vintage for these Barolos in their current blends, as new regulations forbid producers from naming two single-vineyard sites on a single label. Starting in 2010, Rinaldi will bottle a pure Cannubi (magnums only) and a pure Brunate (in all formats). The Ravera and Le Coste parcels will be blended into a straight Barolo, which will be named 'Barolo di Barolo' or Barolo from (the village of) Barolo. Rinaldi fans won't want to miss the 2009s, especially as they will drink better than some of the more structured recent vintages. In my opinion, Rinaldi remains the most traditional of the traditionalists. Readers who want to learn more might enjoy this short video.

A visit with Beppe Rinaldi is always part philosophy part wine. One of Barolo's most colorful characters, Rinaldi never fails to deliver colorful insights, always punctuated with his unique brand of humor. Things rarely change at Rinaldi, which is what I imagine the estate's long-time fans have come to expect. But then there are regulations. It looks like the new Barolo labeling laws are going to change the blends of Rinaldi's two Barolos. The Brunate will now be 100% Brunate, with the exception of a small percentage of Le Coste that the regulations will allow and still permit a wine to be labeled a single-vineyard Barolo. If someone can explain the logic behind giving producers the ability to add any amount of juice from another site to a ‘single-vineyard' Barolo, I am all ears. Meanwhile the rest of the Le Coste juice will be blended into the Cannubi S. Lorenzo/Ravera, which will result in a straight Barolo, since the new laws don't allow the use of two vineyard names on a label. I have mixed feelings about these changes, but in the end, only of the quality of the wines really matters. As always, I tasted every wine in the cellar, but will focus here on the 2009s, which should begin appearing in the market soon. Did I mention the 2010s are stratospheric?