2022 Giuseppe Rinaldi "Brunate" Barolo, Piedmont, Italy

ABOUT THIS WINE

2022 was an exceptionally challenging year in Barolo. It was the second consecutive drought year, with very little winter snow, low water reserves, an unusually warm spring and a hot, dry summer. Flowering occurred roughly ten days earlier than normal, berries remained small, and growers had to carefully manage their canopies to protect Nebbiolo from sun damage.

Brunate was particularly affected. Marta Rinaldi explains that the vineyard entered the season with already depleted water reserves, and the drought caused severe stress and losses among both younger and older vines, especially in a sandier section. The family ultimately decided to replant that portion of Brunate using massal selections, meaning production from the site will remain reduced while those vines become established.

Although labeled Brunate, the wine traditionally incorporates fruit from the family's nearby Le Coste holdings, a continuation of Beppe Rinaldi's belief in the old Barolo tradition of blending complementary vineyard sites rather than treating individual crus as completely isolated expressions. The 2022 reportedly contains a little more Le Coste than usual, due to the struggle of the Brunate Vineyards. 

The vintage created unusual fermentation challenges as well. According to Marta Rinaldi, drought-stressed vines produced grapes with elevated sugar levels, making harvest timing particularly important so that the native yeasts could successfully complete fermentation. They vinified traditionally, with 36 months in large oak casks for this vintage. 

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Giuseppe Rinaldi is one of the most revered names in traditional Barolo, with deep family roots in the village of Barolo. Giuseppe “Beppe” Rinaldi took over the estate from his father, Battista, in 1992 and became a passionate defender of classic Barolo during a period of rapid modernization in the region. He believed great Barolo should develop slowly, retain its natural structure and character, and have the ability to evolve beautifully over decades.

Rinaldi’s winemaking remained resolutely traditional, favoring indigenous-yeast fermentations, long macerations, and aging in large Slavonian oak botti rather than small new-oak barrels. Beppe was also a strong believer in the historic practice of blending vineyards to create more complete and balanced wines. This philosophy produced the estate’s celebrated Brunate-Le Coste and Cannubi San Lorenzo-Ravera Barolos. Changes to labeling regulations beginning with the 2010 vintage eventually led to these wines being reorganized and renamed.

Following Beppe Rinaldi’s death in 2018, his daughters Marta and Carlotta continued the family legacy, preserving the estate’s traditional approach. Today, Giuseppe Rinaldi remains synonymous with beautifully perfumed, structured, age-worthy Barolo. These wines are prized for their authenticity, complexity, and unmistakable expression of Nebbiolo and the hills of Barolo.