While collector obsession drives up prices for cousin estate Giuseppe Rinaldi or Bartolo Mascarello, true Barolo purists know where the real treasure lies. Francesco Rinaldi & Figli has anchored itself on Cannubi—the most famous cru in all of Barolo—since 1870, quietly crafting single-site perfection without the inflated markup. While Giuseppe’s lineup commands massive premiums, Francesco delivers the exact same pedigree, uncompromising traditionalism, and site-specificity in a far more accessible package.

The family’s home base rests right on the sacred Cannubi ridge, where they farm 2.8 prized hectares—including old-vine parcels in Cannubi Boschis planted between 1967 and 1990. In the cellar, nothing bends to modern trends: long skin macerations and over 36 months of aging in massive, neutral Slavonian oak botti grandi. We offered this bottle two years ago, and with over 6 years of bottle age, it has evolved spectacularly. As young, structured 2021 single-site Baroli flood the market, accessing a mature 2017 vintage direct from the estate is a rare treat.

In the glass, it radiates a luminous garnet ruby, bursting with classic Cannubi aromatics: crushed dried roses, sour cherries, tar, pipe tobacco, and a lift of orange peel. The sandy soils of the ridge lend a silky elegance, framing sweet red fruit and forest floor against fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. It’s poised, precise, and completely dialed in—a benchmark expression of Barolo’s most famous hill that proves old-school soul is within reach. Molte Grazie!

Critical Acclaim:

95 Points, Decanter Magazine:

“The grapes for this wine arrived from Cannubi Boschis (2.2 hectares) and Cannubi (0.6ha). Fermented in stainless steel, it is than aged in Slavonian botti grandi for at least three years. Very pale ruby with a garnet rim, it is fresh thanks to notes of lemon leaf, mint and wild strawberry - very classic. The attack is grainy and youthful, with well packed tannins, almost zesty acidity, and a strawberry character. A fresh expression of the vintage, focused more on elegance than extraction.”

93+ Points, Vinous Media:

“The 2017 Barolo Cannubi is sensual, polished and a real delight to taste. Soft and effusive, with lovely aromatic presence, the Cannubi will drink well with minimal cellaring. Sweet dried cherry, mint, spice, crushed rose petal and sweet pipe tobacco all grace this super-appealing, mid-weight Barolo from the Rinaldi family. The 2017 is a bit light, but it is super delicious today.”