1996 was an excellent year for the Piemonte region in Italy. Francesco Rinaldi is a 130 year old wine estate located in the village of Barolo. They produce several different wines including 3 different barolos. The wine producer is well respected. The Barolo Cannubio is from their vines within the well respected Cannubi vineyard. The 1996 vintage of this wine is currently being sold for about 50 dollars, and is available at the Bacchus Wine Market in downtown San Diego's Gaslamp District, and is also available through direct order from the importor/distributor Summa Vitis.
This winery receives scanty media attention. Only two vintages of this wine (1997 and 1998) have been reviewed by Parker (both years received positive marks), and coverage by Wine Spectator has generally been once every several years. When the 1996 wine was first released six years ago, Wine Spectator noted that it had high acidity and they gave it a mediocre review, but they have not tasted it since. I think they were seriously off the mark on this one! This is another good example of how a so-so review can mean great deals at the market-place for wine consumers. This is a wine that was not designed for a quick sip and spit wine tasting, and it is not really fair to review the wine until it has reached maturity. This is a wine that needs decanting if drank young, and should be consumed with food. I suspect that when the wine was reviewed by Wine Spectator 6 years ago, they did neither of the above.
So when I saw this 10 year old Barolo from a great vintage and a great producer for about 50 dollars, the temptation was irresistable, and I bought a bottle. It is difficult to get a nicely aged Barolo from one of the "old school" producers for this price. Many wine consumers are afraid to pay this kind of money unless the wine has a Robert Parker review hanging on the shelf, but sometimes you have to trust your instincts and the advice of the people at the wine shop. A good wine shop will not just try to peddle mediocre wines to their customers, and will give an honest opinion when asked. The fellow at the wine shop said that this was good wine, so I took him at his word and bought it.
The wine is an excellent example of the so-called "classical style" of Barolo. The wine is of a dark ruby color, but is not the deep purple color that has become so trendy. Notes of melted tar, smoke, wild cherry, and licorice compete on the nose. The wine is of medium body. The wine is not overly oaky, probably owing to the fact that it is aged in the traditional style of large (Slavonian) casks as opposed to small barrels of new oak which are becoming increasingly utilized in Piemonte to placate "new world" wine critics. The lack of oakiness allows one to appreciate the finesse of the nebbiolo grape. The acidity that was apparently too intrusive when the wine was released five or six years ago is not overly-intrusive now. It is hardly detectable on the mid-palate, but does show up on the finish. When consumed by itself, the finish is a little on the tangy side, but when consumed with food, the wine drinks nicely and finishes nicely. Interestingly, this wine tasted entirely different when I drank it on an empty stomach versus when i drank it with a few appetizer size meat balls with a zesty tomato sauce. The tangy finish that I mentioned above completley disappeared when I drank the wine with the food. This is not an uncommon phenomenon with traditionally made barolos and barbarescos. This is why it is unfair to judge the wines unless you drink them with a meal, as the winemaker intended. As is the case with most traditional barolos, the wine is complex, and not meant to replicate the fruit forward style of many new world wines.
Overall, this is a nice introduction to the classical style of Barolo from a respected producer in a good vintage. You will have a hard time finding a similar wine with ten years of ageing for a better price. But please consume this wine with a meal, as this is the setting that will allow the wine to shine its brightest. Also, this wine improved with a short period of decanting.
3.5 stars
(Note: This wine was purchased for about 50 dollars February 2006 at the
Bacchus Wine Market in downtown San Diego on G Street, between 6th and 7th Avenue.)
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VinoCritic.com