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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.9 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 34 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by cgoumas on 3/5/2024 & rated 91 points: Surprised. Not surprised. Classic old Rinaldi Barolo. A year that definitely can stand the test of time. 28 years old and still quite lovely. (157 views) | | | Tasted by Radders12345 on 8/22/2023: Jeremy’s Enoteca Turi Dinner: A bottle from Ian’s US days.
On pouring looks very garnet with distinct bricking and translucency.
Evolved nose of hazelnut, chocolate, high toned tar.
On the plate there is sun dried tomato, hazelnut and a little bit of bitterness on the finish. A touch over the hill. (591 views) | | | Tasted by Robmcl920 on 3/18/2023 & rated 91 points: The '96 Brunate is exactly what you might expect from the combination of (a) the tough as nails, high acid and low fruit '96 vintage, and (b) the austere, classic style of F. Rinaldi, especially going back 20 years. It's a good, super classic Barolo and a glimpse into the past.
On the nose, I found menthol, dark red plum fruit, sweet spices, dark red floral tones, and a touch of balsamic. On the palate, the tannins have softened a bit and the wine is quite drinkable, but still comes across as a bit aggressive because of the level of acidity. The flavor profile was masculine with minimal fruit, with spices, balsamic tones, roasted meat, and dark floral tones. (766 views) | | | Tasted by Bob H on 10/3/2020: Opened for dinner later tonight - the cork basically disintegrated on opening, so this had to be decanted.
Candied red fruit on the nose, like a cherry Jolly Rancher. Menthol notes as well - like the nose here.
This may be the least impressive wine of the three on the palate - not bad by any means, but not overly exciting on opening either. (1435 views) | | | Tasted by Bob H on 12/22/2018: Opened for dinner tonight.
Primary nose with red fruit & menthol.
Delicious and perfectly balanced, yet still showing quite young. Like '86 Bordeaux, I sometimes wonder if the '96 Barolo wines will ever mature during my lifetime. (1962 views) | | | Tasted by Bob H on 6/3/2018: Lighter in color than the Carobric; focused nose with red fruits and menthol.
Still a tannic end note on this wine - another one of those slowly evolving '96's. But I like where this wine is headed, and will continue to check in every year or so to see what lies ahead. (2475 views) | | | Tasted by JWG on 10/19/2017 & rated 91 points: Last bottle in the case. Still solidly a delicious barolo. My notes from 2016 are still valid. (2465 views) | | | Tasted by Bob H on 10/9/2016: What better way to bring a Nebbiolo-drenched weekend to a close than some more Nebbiolo?
On Saturday night, we had this wine side-by-side with his Cannubio - I had neglected to uncork the Brunata until 4 p.m. that afternoon, whereas the Cannubio had been double decanted earlier and showed more open, with fuller, sweeter fruit.
Today, I splash decanted this wine to give it a chance to open up a bit. The nose is offering up that quintessential tar & roses bouquet.
On the palate, this is still a little tight, but also focused and enjoyable. We had a number of '96's last night, and the general consensus was that as long as you gave the wines some air, most had opened up enough that they were pretty pleasurable drinking at this point (although we found none where you needed to "drink soon", as '96 still gives every indication that it is a true classic, long-lived vintage just like '89). (3059 views) | | | Tasted by cct on 10/8/2016 & rated 91 points: '96 Retrospective at Franny's Brooklyn:
Austere and grumpy it was opened at this time. Tar, and soil, with dark cherry fruit, with a firm acidic spice. Powerful, cistercian a bit of a taskmaster at this point in time, with brutish tannins. I think this wine was not opened up much ahead of time, and that may be a factor. At the e d of the night, still quite linear but less mean. I suspect a wine that has potential to become something special in a decade plus. 91+ (2317 views) | | | Tasted by cct on 10/8/2016 & rated 92 points: '96 retrospective at Franny's, Brooklyn
Darker fruited and more approoachable nose than the Brunata, but that said, the nose is still shy, and with less Cannubi perfume than I had hoped for. Stony and still quite tight. Like the Brunate, it has enamel thinning acid and tannins, but maybe dialed down a notch or two. This is more approachable than the Brunata, and I do think it has the requisite parts to become something special in a decade plus. 92+
This flight made me a bit nervous for the rest of the evening, but this was the sole flight I felt was too young to drink. (1912 views) | | | Tasted by JWG on 9/2/2016 & rated 91 points: Drank a glass via Coravin, and let open in glass for 15 min. A lovely nose of roses, smokey cedar. Palate is dark nebbiolo juiciness with balanced acid. Has some soft taut tannins on the end. No sign of being old. I'll push my window back a year since this certainly isn't the end of this wine. (1976 views) | | | Tasted by Bob H on 5/28/2016: Translucent ruby in the glass (noticeably lighter than the '98 Veglio); funky red fruits and a hint of cooling menthol on nose.
Lighter bodied - what might be described as feminine or elegant. Decent persistence, with a bit of unresolved tannin on the finish. Drinking well now, but still has the potential for additional development. (2073 views) | | | Tasted by Vinomane on 1/10/2016 & rated 93 points: Finally opening, with a majestically complex nose. Still fairly light on the palate with not much length. 3-5 years to peak, but may or may not gain weight. (2032 views) | | | Tasted by JWG on 3/11/2015 & rated 91 points: Another good showing compared to a few years ago. Drank a couple of glasses via Coravin, and let open in glass for 15 min. A beguiling nose of roses, smokey cedar, that just keeps on giving. Palate is dark nebbiolo juiciness with balanced acid. Has some soft taut tannins on the end. No sign of being old. I'll push my window back a year since this certainly isn't the end of this wine. (1913 views) | | | Tasted by MarkinBaltimore on 4/12/2014 & rated 89 points: Saturated ruby color. No sign of bricking. Decanted for 90 minutes. Evolved nose of licorice, blood, violets, with a hint of red currants. Virtually identical upon the palate. Long finish. Prominent acidity and pronounced, soft tannins that are far from integrated. The structure of this wine has been similar from an earlier stage in its evolution and I don't imagine its changing any time soon. This is a genuine old-style wine. Kindof an oddity today. I never thought I liked the newer style but compared to this . . . (1814 views) | | | Tasted by JWG on 1/3/2014 & rated 91 points: Better showing than last bottle. Has a very pleasing soft nose of roses, camphor, smokey cedar. The palate is medium bodied with soft dark berry fruit and after about an hour of opening a good hit of tannins that give it an edge, but aren't overpowering. (2267 views) | | | Tasted by Bob H on 10/5/2013: Translucent ruby at the core, lightening out to brick on the rim; tart cherry & menthol on the nose of this popped & poured wine - just giving it a little air before dinner.
Still tannic on the palate, sweet & sour cherry fruit, adequate acidity - nice, and hopefully better in a couple hours with the air & food. (2395 views) | | | Tasted by JWG on 3/27/2012 & rated 89 points: Needs a few hours to open -- otherwise not much happening. Nose is dark cherries and a bit of tobacco. Palate is delicate nebbiolo fruit with good balancing acidity along with some tannins that develop near the end and give an edge. Still lively at this age, but not an outstanding barolo. (3384 views) | | | Tasted by JWG on 1/23/2011 & rated 90 points: Really needs a couple of hours before drinking. Before that it's pretty tough and unintegrated and wicked tannins. Eventually the nose becomes smoky cedar and earthy. The flavors start to integrate and become dark fruit and leather and chocolate. Big tannins. Seems to have gone backward in development. (3139 views) | | | Tasted by Eric Guido on 11/8/2009 & rated 91 points: Light to medium red with slight bricking. Great maturing nebbiolo nose of plum, orange zest, anise, black pepper and a bit of animal fur. Sour cherries with rose petal, minerals and tobacco box on the palate. Firm structure with a great tannic to acid balance. This wine certainly has a future ahead of it. (3571 views) | | | Tasted by JWG on 10/22/2009 & rated 92 points: Classic tar and roses. Still young and somewhat better integrated than the last. Big nebbiolo fruit, a bit of spice and leather and earth, and a textural chewiness. Definite tannins going on to a long finish. (3012 views) | | | Tasted by pbjosh on 7/22/2009 flawed bottle: Cooked (3061 views) | | | Tasted by goofy Yno on 1/11/2009 & rated 87 points: tight, not giving much- nice nose of spice, cherry, forest floor. strong acid/tannic backbone with some fruit tiring to peek through.hold and hope/ (2756 views) | | | Tasted by JWG on 12/9/2008 & rated 92 points: Has improved since 2006. THE classic tar and roses of top barolo. The palate is still young, and not fully integrated, but still full of great fruit, some spice, leather, a good sense of chewiness as it goes to the end, and pretty strong tannins. Still needs a little more balance to be a stunning barolo, but very very enjoyable now. (2707 views) | | | Tasted by venturen on 7/30/2007 & rated 92 points: Excellent. Still strong tanin. Really coming into its own (2937 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Producer website |
Importer website (Polaner Selections)NebbioloNebbiolo is a red grape indigenous to the Piedmont region of Italy in the Northwest. The grape can also be found in other parts of the world, though they are not as respected.
Nebbiolo is often considered the "king of red wines," as it is the grape of the famed wines of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, and Roero DOCG. It is known for high tannins and acidity, but with a distinct finesse. When grown on clay, Nebbiolo can be very powerful, tannic, and require long aging periods to reach its full potential. When grown on sand, the grape exhibits a more approachable body with more elegant fruit and less tannins, but still has high aging potential.
"Nebbiolo" is named for the Italian word, "nebbia", which means "fog", in Italian and rightfully so since there is generally a lot of fog in the foothills of Piedmont during harvest.
Nebbiolo is a late-ripening variety that does best in a continental climate that boasts moderate summers and long autumns. In Piedmont, Nebbiolo is normally harvested in October.
More links:
Varietal character (Appellation America) | Nebbiolo on CellarTrackerItaly Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorPiedmont Vignaioli Piemontesi (Italian only)
On weinlagen-infoLanghe Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero | Union of Producers of Albese Wines (Albeisa)BaroloRegional History:
The wines of Piedmont are noted as far back as Pliny's Natural History. Due to geographic and political isolation, Piedmont was without a natural port for most of its history, which made exportation treacherous and expensive. This left the Piedmontese with little incentive to expand production. Sixteenth-century records show a mere 14% of the Bassa Langa under vine -- most of that low-lying and farmed polyculturally. In the nineteenth century the Marchesa Falletti, a frenchwoman by birth, brought eonologist Louis Oudart from Champagne to create the first dry wines in Piemonte. Along with work in experimental vineyards at Castello Grinzane conducted by Camilo Cavour -- later Conte di Cavour, leader of the Risorgimento and first Prime Minister of Italy -- this was the birth of modern wine in the Piedmont. At the heart of the region and her reputation are Alba and the Langhe Hills. This series of weathered outcroppings south of the Tanaro River is of maritime origin and composed mainly of limestone, sand and clay, known as terra bianca. In these soils -located mainly around the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco -- the ancient allobrogica, now Nebbiolo, achieves its renowned fineness and power.
map of Barolo DOCG
An interesting thread on Traditional vs. Modern Barolo producers:
https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=106291 |
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