Perfumed, delicious and structured, the compelling 2019 Brunate from Francesco Rinaldi & Figli opens with heady scents of fragrant blue flower, ripe berry, menthol and dark spice. Firm but elegantly structured, the focused, savory palate doles out crushed raspberry, wild strawberry, licorice and crushed mint framed in tightly woven, extremely refined tannins. Grapes hail from the Brunate cru that spans the villages of La Morra and Barolo and are cultivated 250-350m above sea level in soils that are mainly limestone and clay with a small percentage of sand, giving the wine both body, finesse and vibrancy. This is the best Brunate I’ve ever tried from the estate. Drink 2029–2039. 96 points. KERIN O’KEEFE.
