2014 - Barolo Tre Tine, Giuseppe Rinaldi

The 2014 Barolo Tre Tine is nervous and tightly wound, with good precision and a bit more austerity than is the norm. Readers will have to be patient with the 2014, although I suspect the wine will always be a bit aggressive because of the effects of hail. There is good delineation to the bright red stone fruit, tobacco and floral notes. It will be interesting to see how the 2014 develops in coming years.

The 2014 Barolo Tre Tine will surely benefit from extra time in the bottle. The wine was still a bit rigid and nervous when I tasted it (despite the fact I tasted from a bottle at the winery that had been open since the previous evening). This blended wine sees fruit harvested from Le Coste in mid-October and Ravera during the third week of the month. Despite the timid bouquet, the mouthfeel shows power and depth. I was also surprised by the level of fruity ripeness and plumpness that emerges from the bouquet. There is a touch of astringency on the finish that should iron out within the next five years or so.