Tasting Notes
Vinous 90
Medium red. Rather rustic, dusty aromas of red berries and tar. Sweet on entry, then soft and smooth in the middle, with more fat and better early balance than the Brunate bottling. Finishes with nicely ripe tannins and less dryness than the Brunate. In the heat of 2000, says Rinaldi, the Ravera vines, which had greater reserves of water and thus suffered little hydric stress, produced outstanding fruit of more thorough ripeness than in most years.
Robert Parker 89-91
2000 Barolo Cannubi (San Lorenzo)/ Ravera (from barrel) A blend of 60% Cannubi (San Lorenzo sub-plot) and 40% Ravera fruit. Dark ruby in color, the Cannubi (San Lorenzo) /Ravera is delicate, perfumed and aromatic, with lots of cherry and spice flavors, although still very closed on the palate. The Brunate/LeCoste is the masculine wine, the Cannubi (SanLorezo)/Ravera the feminine wine. (89-91) points Giuseppe Rinaldi is one of the most opinionated vignerons in Piedmont as well as one of the few remaining staunch traditionalists in Barolo (along with his cousin Bartolo Mascarello). Both Barolos are made from fruit which is sourced from different vineyards. The wines are fermented in wood vats with no temperature control, and maceration lasts about 25-30 days. The wines are then aged in large oak casks. The 2000 Barolos were bottled in summer 2004 to be released in fall 2004. Readers looking to discover the Rinaldi wines might want to start with this producer’s excellent Dolcetto, Barbera, and Langhe Nebbiolo, which are miniature masterpieces that capture the winemaker’s philosophy. These wines also offer great value, although production is very small and the wines are not imported in the US. Rinaldi is not crazy about the 2000 vintage, he says the hot weather produced mixed results, with many wines showing low acidity and not enough tannins. Rinaldi believes a better equilibrium is needed for wines to age well. The 2001 Barolos (tasted from barrel) are obviously similar in style to the 2000s, but darker in color and much fresher on the palate, with plenty of chewy fruit and tannins. The wines were too shut down when I tasted them to write intelligent tasting notes, but I will try again on my next trip.
