2018 Barolo Tre Tine

Rinaldi fans will adore the 2018 Barolos. I felt like Beppe Rinaldi was there, in the winery, when I tasted the wines with his daughter, Carlotta, during my most recent visit. All I could think is that these are the wines Beppe Rinaldi always wanted to make: classically austere, vibrant Barolos that show themselves only with bottle age. Carlotta Rinaldi relayed the challenges of 2018: 24 consecutive days of rain in May, Peronospora and odium outbreaks and then a very hot August and September, a set of conditions that were especially hard on Ravera but less so on Le Coste, Cannubi and Brunate, which drain better. The 2018s saw 20-25 days on the skins, which is shorter than normal, because of the fragility of the skins. I tasted the 2018s a second time in my office in New York, where I saw the wines continue improve over the few days I kept the bottles open. In a dictionary, or Wikipedia entry, for younger readers, the word "Barolo" should be accompanied by this: Giuseppe Rinaldi. These are simply quintessential wines for anyone who loves Barolo.