TN: G. Rinaldi '90 Riserva Brunate and '00 CSLR

[*]1990 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Riserva Speciale delle Brunate - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (8/27/2021)
Stood upright for months waiting for the right time. Double decanted in the AM for sediment.

At first, there was a little VA that blew off quickly. On the nose, balsam, tar, ripe fruit, and roses; but it all comes across a bit muddled for what it could be. I gave it a couple hours to see if things would improve drinking slowly. More bouillon, rose petals, and browning ripe fruit on the nose. It’s mid plus weighted and broad on the palate, with the richness of '90 coming with some lack of focus. More balsam, bouillon, rose, and tar, with some umami notes adding to the ripe but browning fruit. On the upside, it had lovely balsamic and umami notes on its long finish. Denial is a strong tool, but in the end, it became clear the bottle, while a good bottle of Barolo, was not correct. Many 90’s have this muddled browning fruit and lack of focus but this bottle was not what it could be. The cork was fine, the ullage excellent, and part of me wanted to wish this away as it was a birthday (not remotely a birth year) bottle I’d had sitting upright waiting for this day. Over time it became more evident that this bottle had seen some heat. Not enough to cook it outright, but enough to kill its freshness. It was still an outstanding bottle of wine and if I were to score it, it would have been in the 90-1 range. Darmagi. NR (flawed)[/list]
Posted from CellarTracker

Mid plus weighted but with good balance. Rich and certainly the product of a ripe year. Fruit turning a little toward plum on the palate. Balsam, spice, and some subtle svaory undertones add to the cherry fruit and Cannubi perfume. That said, it holds itself together very well for the vintage. It’s forward, giving, and pleasurable in a somewhat uncomplicated made for the producer. Over a few hours more savory and umami with some meaty porcini notes coming. I’m certain it has some time in hand, but I doubt it will improve from here, and will drink my remaining bottles in the near to mid term. Still outstanding if not the last word in nuance. A labrador puppy version of G Rinaldi’s Barolo. (91 pts.)



The '90 was opened for a slightly delayed birthday wine and the '00 I thought was ready to be drunk and would be interesting to try another warm vintage wine as a companion. The '90 could have been amazing, but this bottle was only outstanding. The '00 was a correct bottle and about as good as it will get. I’d drink up the "00 if you have it.

Both were outstanding with braised beef and my wife’s otherworldly mashed potatoes.

Thanks for reading!