Rinaldi Barbera d'Alba 2019

Uncompromising and outspoken, the late Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Rinaldi was a traditionalist through-and-through. Famed for structured, perfumed wines blended from Barolo’s finest hillside crus, Rinaldi’s wines are among Italy’s most prized – treasured by critics and drinkers alike – and its allocations are some of the most difficult to obtain.
 
Nebbiolo might rule the Langhe, but Barbera, Dolcetto, and Freisa have been long favoured by locals while their Barolo softened and aged. While other winemakers are ripping up these native grape varieties to plant the more fashionable Nebbiolo, the Rinaldis – Beppe’s daughters Marta and Carlotta – have stayed firm and continue to champion the roots of their homeland.
 
These wines receive the same artisanal care and attention as the estate’s flagships and, although sometimes overlooked by wine lovers, are just as integral to the Piedmontese cellar as Barolo. Organically farmed and naturally made, they are full of the pure fruit and bright acidity that characterise Rinaldi’s precise, elegant style.

Dried cranberries, violets and smoke, its texture supported by a core of acidity and mineral grip – the standard bearer for Barbera d’Alba.