2011 Barolo Brunate

The 2011 Barolo Brunate has finally begun to awaken from its post-bottling slumber. Surprisingly open for a young Rinaldi Barolo, the 2011 is round, spherical and supple. Leather, smoke, menthol and tobacco wrap around a plump, juicy core of dark Brunate fruit. The 2011 is almost shockingly accessible. The breadth and creaminess of Brunate is evident, but at the same time, the Brunate is also clearly marked by the ripeness of the vintage. It will be interesting to see if the pedigree of Brunate comes to the fore with further time in bottle. At this point, the Barolo Tre Tine is fresher and better balanced.

Beppe Rinaldi's 2011 Barolo Brunate is pure sensuality in the glass. Crushed flowers, sweet red berries, spices and mint caress the palate in a Brunate that is exceptionally polished and finessed. Both casks I tasted were terrific. The September 26 harvest is the earliest on record at Rinaldi, one of the reference points in Barolo.

The 2011 Barolo Brunate shows dazzle and pizzazz with a good sense of density and structure at the back. Its tight, svelte texture wraps smoothly over the palate. Bright aromas of cherry, dark fruit, balsam herb, rosemary oil, cola and crushed mineral appear with clear definition and energy. Because of the warm vintage, this wine went into bottle six months earlier than average to allow for a longer evolution in glass. ||Marta Rinaldi says the past few years at her family's winery have been dedicated to the difficult job of reconfiguring their vineyards following the Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive (MGA) rules set to delineate the single vineyards of Barolo. Giuseppe Rinaldi's Barolo Brunate - Le Coste is now simply Barolo Brunate. That was an easy choice she says, because fruit used in that wine was 85 percent Brunate to begin with. The wine formally known as Barolo Cannubi S. Lorenzo - Ravera has been abandoned and the Barolo Tre Tine takes its place. Tre Tine sees fruit from Cannubi S. Lorenzo, Ravera and the Le Coste vineyard. Because Le Coste was previously used in such a small quantity, it was easy to transfer it over to the Tre Tine. These new rules regarding the way MGA single vineyards are identified on Barolo labels went into effect starting with the 2010 vintage. Jun 15, www.robertparker.com, Drink: 2017-2035