Rinaldi Giuseppe

“No barriques, no compromises – The legendary school of Giuseppe Rinaldi”

The Giuseppe Rinaldi winery in Barolo, Piedmont, is far more than just a wine-growing business – it is a living legend and a passionate guardian of a great tradition. The family’s roots date back to 1870, but the actual foundation for today’s winery was laid by Giuseppe Rinaldi in the 1920s, when he acquired some of the appellation’s finest vineyards, including Brunate, Cannubi Ravera and Le Coste. Over five generations, this legacy has been preserved and refined. A charismatic key figure was Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Rinaldi, a qualified veterinary surgeon who took over the estate in 1992 and turned it into one of the most prominent exponents of the traditional Barolo style. Following his death in 2018, his daughters Marta and Carlotta now run the estate with equal measures of dedication and expertise.

The estate is renowned for its uncompromisingly traditionalist philosophy. Giuseppe Rinaldi consistently rejected modern trends such as the use of French barriques or short maceration periods. Instead, the focus is on long maceration, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and ageing in large, neutral oak casks for 13 to 24 months. The wines are powerful, well-structured and possess enormous ageing potential . Another hallmark of the estate is the conviction that the finest Barolos are created from a blend of different vineyards – an approach that even brought the estate into conflict with the Barolo Consortium.

The portfolio includes some of the world’s most sought-after wines. Among the best known are the ‘Brunate-Le Coste’ and the ‘Tre Tine’, a blend from the Le Coste, Cannubi and Ravera vineyards. The wines are produced in minuscule quantities – around 38,000 bottles annually – and sell out in no time at all. The estate’s excellence is regularly confirmed by critics: The 2021 Barolo Bussia received the top score of 100 points from Falstaff. Giuseppe Rinaldi’s wines are therefore not merely drinks, but rare and precious testaments to unrivalled craftsmanship.