Giuseppe Rinaldi at Chi Siamo, NYC

Several nebbiolo lovers got together for a casual and delicious meal at Chi Siamo. The food was excellent, the pasta well executed, flavors balanced and full of pleasure.

We all took smallish pours and at a few courses family style, then went back over the night retesting all the wines over the rest of the meal.

We started with a grower Champagne, that I feel bad but did not take notes on.

• 1999 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste 97 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Giuseppe Rinaldi at Chi Siamo, NYC
  
  Double decanted in the AM, and drunk over several hours at dinner
  
  Similar to my last bottle. Terrific perfume, darker fruit, and roses. Deep and powerful, yet graceful and seamless on the palate with a cooler profile and terrific clarity. Multifaceted, with terrific depth and length. Early peak and WOTN for me. 97

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• 1996 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Giuseppe Rinaldi at Chi Siamo, NYC
  
  Double decanted in the Am then drunk at dinner.
  
  A little closed and stern at first, but opened over a few hours. Tar, darker nebbiolo fruit, violet more than rose, iron and cured meat. Structured and firm t first, but opening gaining palate breadth and depth. More violets, some umami, porcini notes. Still tannic on back end. Early peak for me. 96

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• 2004 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo Ravera 89 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Giuseppe Rinaldi at Chi Siamo, NYC
  
  Double decanted in the AM and drunk that evening over a few hours
  
  Unexpectedly mature nose with soy, roses red fruit licorice florals, and decayed leaves. Supple and broad on the palate with lovely umami tertiary notes that if the bottle were 15 years older I would love. This still is well balanced, with a sense clarity and focus, and finishes with fine tannins, but another early aughts advanced Giuseppe Rinaldi bottle. Still very good but but concerning and a shadow of what it should be. I will try one from my cellar soon. 89

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• 2004 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Giuseppe Rinaldi at Chi Siamo, NYC
  
  Deeper cooler fruited violet as much as rose. Expansive vertical on the palate.. Cohesive and seamless with terrific inner perfume. Gains depth with air time and develops a jeweled like clarity. youthfully terrific. 96+

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• 2005 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Giuseppe Rinaldi at Chi Siamo
  
  Double decanted in the AM and drunk over dinner
  
  Riper nose, fleshy with roses, tar violet and some soy. Expansive and baroque on the palate, but concerning soy maturing notes. Long finish with some umami. I am not sure if this was a representative bottle. At least I hope it is not. 91

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• 2008 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste 97 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Giuseppe Rinaldi at Chi Siamo, NYC
  
  Double decanted in the AM and drunk over dinner
  A cooler nose, more nuanced and lifted nose with a fleeting beauty. Rose violet black licorice, spice, and tar. On the palate it has a weightless intensity and sense of lift I love in the 08 vintage. Weightless power, push you over with a featherr stuff. This has some mystery and nuance. I love this bottle. Opened quite a bit with more air time. this is delicious already and destined for greatness.
  Tannins.

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Overall a great evening getting together and seeing friendly faces. Chi Siamo aside from pretty noisy for this Arizona boy, the service was professional and friendly, they were there when you needed them and then faded into the background. Food was technically really well done.

Re the wines: Giuseppe Rinaldi's wine to me have character and soul. This night, the wines were variable, from fantastic to unnaturally mature. The '99 is on fire and the 96's best days are still ahead IMO. It's just hitting its stride. I think the '08 is a stunning bottle of wine and is going to be more stunning when it hits its peak. Power and grace with nuance. The '04s can be great and normally I love the 05s for current drinking. This night's wines from these two years were a mixed bag.

It pains me as I love G Rinaldi, the producer with the largest space in my cellar. However, I've found some maddening inconsistency in G. Rinaldi's wines in the early aughts. Even bottles from the same case. When they are on, they can be great, and when not, well not so much. I've had particular problems with the 01s in 750ml format (tot the point that we did not even bring any 01s to the dinner). That said, all the mags I have had from '01 have been terrific.

FWIW, Almost all of these wines were bought on release in the US. Darmagi.

Anyway, a couple off bottles could not take away the joy of hanging with friends eating delicious food and four wonderful bottles of wine, in a great city.