Francesco Rinaldi & Figli

The story of Francesco Rinaldi starts in the cellar on the “hill of hills” in the Barolo area; the Cannubi. It’s here that soil of Helvetian and Tortonian type blend together giving those unique flavors and characteristics to the Nebbiolo grape that are only to be found in this strip of land.

From the original cellar with vaults, the work started by Giovanni has been enhanced year after year by his descendants with extension works in the winery at the hand of Luciano and Michele, sons of Francesco Rinaldi, in the sixties. More recently conventional processing in the cellar has been completed with modern technology, optimizing work but at the same time making sure to preserve the uniqueness of our wines. The result is a modern cellar with a traditional taste for meditation. After pressing and fermentation where grapes become wine in a fast and continuous transformation process, the precious liquid moves on to the ‘halls of silence’; cellars dug in the hill, where our Barolo is left to age in Slavonian oak barrels. It’s here that the tale of a grand wine is written; it’s right here where the heart of the winery Francesco Rinaldi beats. A winery where one can sense the family’s passion focused on making the most of the values offered by the Barolo land. The bottling department and warehouse were transferred to Alba in the thirties, a lucky deed by Francesco Rinaldi because the main transport system for bulk goods of those days, the train, had its terminus there.

His passion made the brand of our winery strong. In 1922 the brothers parted ways and the winery continued under the name of Francesco Rinaldi, after the youngest son of Giovanni.

He made sure that bottles of Barolo Cannubi and Barolo Brunate were present on the tables of those who wrote history, for example in 1949 at the celebrations in occasion of the Italian entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A clear sign of how dedication to the Langa made its wine a protagonist. In the sixties Luciano and Michele, sons of Francesco, continued the family activity making the company grow steadily. In the nineties Paola and Piera took over and decided it was time for a more modern approach and internationalized sales; today the USA is the most important market followed by Northern Europe and part of the Far East. The philosophy of our company, a blend of Barolo, history and tradition is still inspired by the hill that had charmed Giovanni Rinaldi two centuries earlier.

Barolo, La Morra, Castiglione Falletto. Three of the most important villages in the Barolo area, three places where Nebbiolo expresses itself to the best, in fragrance and taste, fruit of a soil made up of unique elements.

Not a random choice for the winery Francesco Rinaldi, the vineyards, some inherited others bought later on, represent the three faces of the Barolo territory. The wines summarize the preciousness of the soil; from compact and silt clayey in the village of Castiglione to more limestoney in La Morra.

But it’s in Barolo where the perfect balance is found, right on the hill of our cellar;  on the Cannubi-hill, chalk, clay and sand blend in a mix that brings balance, harmony, fragrance and taste full of reminiscences of the whole Barolo area. The grape varieties grown here are Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto.

Cru Cannubi

Our vineyard is 2,8 hectares big and is to be found in the territory of Barolo facing south-east. It’s here that soils of Helvetian and Tortonian type from different geological eras blend together giving birth to the Barolo Cannubi, typical for its intense fragrance and great structure.

Cru Brunate

The vineyard of 2 hectares is on the border between the villages of Barolo and La Morra, facing south-east. Here you can find the old farmhouse ‘La Brunata’ that has been part of the winery since the early days. Our Barolo Brunate has great body, excellent fragrance and is full of elegance and softness. A captivating and full taste thanks in part to well balanced tannins.

Nebbiolo vineyards for Barolo wine

These vineyards  are to be found in the villages of Barolo (Sarmassa and Vignane), La Morra (Rocche dell’Annunziata) and Castiglione Faletto (Codana) for a total of about 3 hectares. The grapes give life to a Barolo that unites  structure and color with fragrance and the dry taste that is typical for this wine.

Dolcetto d’Alba

The vineyards facing south-west and south-east are situated in the village of Barolo. As well as the classic Dolcetto we produce the Dolcetto selection “Roussot”.

Barbera d’Alba

These vineyards are to be found in the villages of Barolo and La Morra for an area of about 1.2 hectares. Facing south, south-east they produce wine of good structure, intense taste and ethereal fragrance.