1970 Barolo

At first, I am shocked by the wine’s sheer richness and concentration. The intensity of the flavors is unreal. Iron, smoke, tobacco, leather, game and incense all lend gravitas to this decidedly potent, virile Barolo. I find it pretty difficult to assign a rating to a wine like this. Objectively, the aromatics are more forward than the palate impression. The 1970 is certainly not going to get better with more time in bottle. On the other hand, it is a minor miracle wines from this era have survived to the present day at all given that they were never prized up until 15-20 years ago, maximum. Readers lucky enough to come across the 1970 Rinaldi will be drinking more than just a wine. This bottle represents the history of one of the great families of Barolo and artisan values that are increasingly rare in today’s world.