Giuseppe Rinaldi - 'Brunate-Le Coste'

Giuseppe Rinaldi - 'Brunate-Le Coste'

Giuseppe Rinaldi's Brunate-Le Coste is a red from Piedmont, made entirely from Nebbiolo. It is a structured red, and at 14.5% alcohol it has real weight to go with its precision.

Expect the classic Nebbiolo profile: a pale garnet colour, and a nose of rose petal, sour cherry, tar and dried herbs, with a hint of forest floor as it opens. The palate is dry and firm, with high acidity and grippy tannin around red-cherry fruit and warm spice. The finish is long and savoury. Young bottles are tight and need air; with age they soften into something more fragrant and layered.

Rinaldi makes the wine from Nebbiolo alone, so the grape's character comes through undisguised. Nebbiolo is a late-ripening variety with naturally high acidity and firm tannin, which give the wine its backbone, perfume and capacity to age.

Decant it beforehand and serve slightly cool in large glasses. It suits braised beef or veal, mushroom risotto, tajarin with butter and truffle, roast game and aged hard cheeses. It works best with rich, savoury dishes.