2015 意遊散記(七)﹕Beppe Rinaldi 的睿智

Visits: 71

有一位奇人,他們的酒好得不得了,但他竟然跟人家說﹕我討厭果!(見前文﹕"I hate fruit!": Giuseppe Rinaldi

後來又聽了些他的高論和怪論,難怪當地人乾脆為他起了個 “Citrico” 的綽號,是辛辣的意思。

很好笑的是我跟 Alba 一家賣酒的小店說我會去拜訪 Giuseppe Rinaldi,他告訴我說他與他們家交往 30 年了,但每次他打電話到酒莊,Rinaldi 先生都問他是誰,而且都說不認識他。

所以這次去 Giuseppe Rinaldi 我有點緊張,但很好奇想一睹這位 Barolo 奇人的廬山真面目。

之前 Maria Teresa 提過 Giuseppe Rinaldi 有她的 cousin,讓我們先看看這兩家人是何關係。

酒莊名字的 Giuseppe Rinaldi 是今天另一位 Giuseppe(人稱 Beppe)的祖父,他在 1920 年左右與兄弟 Francesco 分家,成為了兩家酒莊,Giuseppe 這一支在 1921 年推出第一個年份,前一年 Giulio Mascarello 也開辦他的酒莊。

但再往上追兩代,Giuseppe 的祖父與姓 Barale 的親戚在 1870 年已合組公司,所以酒莊在 Vini Veri 的網站介紹自己時說他們今天是第五代和第六代,這是從 1870 年的 Rinaldi-Barale 公司算起的。這兩家人在 1916 年分家。

Battista 的姐妹(Beppe 的姑姑)嫁了給 Giulio Mascarello,所以 Beppe 是  Bartolo 的表弟,Beppe 的兩個女兒 Marta 與 Carlotta 是 Maria Teresa 的表妹。

 

我們先由 Carlotta 帶我們參觀酒莊。

L1100258Giuseppe Rinaldi 的宅子比 Bartolo Mascarello 的大,田產也更多(6.5 比 5 公頃)

L1100179 L1100185酒窖也更寬敞,很乾淨,而且同樣是最傳統的設備

L1100193曾祖父 Giuseppe 時代的木桶還在用

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我們試了桶裏的 2012 Brunate 和 2012 Tre Tine。前者比較有結構,後者有濃艷的果味。Carlotta 說 2012 下過冰雹,產量較低。

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我一直在想,Giuseppe Rinaldi 與 Bartolo Mascarello 在相近的地方種葡萄,又用類似的傳統方法釀酒,他們的酒都受到同樣高或低的評價,但兩者還是不太一樣的。Rinaldi 的 Brunate-Le Coste 年輕的時候常變化不定,Mascarello 則穩定得多。總覺得 Giuseppe Rinaldi 有種高傲的特質,Bartolo Mascarello 卻令人感到親切。

我有個奇怪的想法﹕這跟他們不同的出身有關嗎?

先說 Giuseppe Rinaldi﹕

  • 奠定 Giuseppe Rinaldi 今天的地位的其實是 Beppe 的父親 Giovanni Battista,他從 Alba 釀酒學校以第一名畢業,26 歲便開始釀酒,29 歲父親去世後(1947 年)便掌管酒莊,直到 1992 年去世後才交給 Beppe;
  • Beppe 也唸過釀酒學校,後來學獸醫,在回酒莊以前當過獸醫;
  • Beppe 的大女兒 Marta 在 Turin 唸釀酒,小女兒 Carlotta 在同一所大學唸種植。
  • 可以說,他們三代都是科班出身。

相比之下,Bartolo Mascarello 這一支更像土包子﹕

  • Giulio Mascarello 很早便輟學離家到 Genoa 學製麵包,一次大戰當兵,復員後決定回 Barolo 學釀酒,他的老師是在合作社當釀酒師傅的父親 Bartolomeo;
  • Bartolo 年青的時候適逢二次大戰,戰後跟父親學釀酒;
  • Maria Teresa 唸外語,20 歲以前不喝酒,後來父親身體不好才決定投筆從酒。
  • 這樣說,這一支是農民出身,技藝代代相傳。

因此我們才可以明白 Bartolo 為何對傳統的堅持有種執著,對他而言,傳統便是美好的,一切都不用改變,所以他成為新派的頭號攻擊對象。

Beppe 卻有知識份子的睿智,所以他每每語不驚人誓不休,例如﹕我討厭果,我非傳統派,我愛無序(anarchy),又大又醜、辯證的 Barolo 最可愛等等。聽說他跟父親 Battista 曾為是否釀造單一葡萄園 Brunate 而吵架。

是這種性格造成他的酒在年輕時有一種放蕩不羈,變化莫測的特質嗎?

我不知道,因為我不懂意大利語,所以在 Beppe 突然出現的一剎那也沒辦法問個仔細。

L1100200

難得真人露相

我唯有在下面抄錄十多年前一位波蘭人對他的一篇訪問稿。這是我看過有關 Beppe 最精彩的一次訪問,從中可以看到 Beppe 很多智慧的火花。這篇文章最近在原來的網站消失了,幸好我有抄錄一份,所以在這裏我摘錄了最精彩部分的公諸同好,相信原作者會原諒我。

L1100207L1120325

我請他簽名留念,他看過 Maria Teresa 題 "歡呼 Barolo",他便換了 "歡呼 Nebbiolo" 

L1100213L1100217

我送他一本筆記本,裏頭收錄了多幅寫我們古時多位「唯有飲者留其名」的繪畫,他馬上找了本古波斯與喝酒有關的插圖詩集回贈給我

L1100249L1100192

他有張椅子上面貼了紙條寫著「小木桶的最佳用途」

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他的部分藏酒,有不少意酒經典

附錄

原文出自﹕http://www.wineloverspage.com/user_submitted/wine_notes/tn_188233.html

 

Topic: TN: Two days and one night in Barolo
Author: Nerval
Date: Wed Nov 14 11:02:06 2001
Two days and one night in Barolo

Giuseppe Rinaldi (excerpts)

''I am not a modernist'', he acknowledges. But according to him the whole querelle between traditionalists and modernists is very much an invention of journalists, especially the Arcigola circle, although he admits it has a raison d''être. But he says he is ''annoyed by being classified into categories'' and that the ''divisions are too exploited'' by the press. He thinks the main difference between the two camps is in ''the way of interpreting Barolo and its territory'', and that this difference has grown to become a ''cultural, ethical and political one''. He says he is sorry about the division because ''everyone should have the courage to fight for his own dignity''; speaking more and more passionately, he stresses how important it is not be ''fans of foreign fashions, not to be subjected or colonised by others''. When I mention some modern producers, he says that Sandrone ''has succeeded in reconciling the modern and traditional views with success'', while he calls Altare ''a non-cruel interpreter of Barolo'', adding that he just came back from a spumante fair where he went with Altare, although ''I don''t move anymore, I came to dislike it''. Cutting the story short, he says: ''neither me nor Altare are representative anymore of these tendencies''. ''I refuse to be classified, also because I know there are more authoritative traditional producers'', among which he mentions Luciano Rinaldi (of F. Rinaldi) and Bartolo Mascarello, after a while adding Mauro Mascarello, Moccagatta, Aldo and Giacomo Conterno and Cappellano.

But traditional producers weigh little from the mercantile point of view, he adds, which he thinks is not good for the Langhe as such, because the traditional tendency ''should manifest itself in a more evident way''. He feels that the modernists have adopted a misleading concept of cru, and that paradoxically, while pretending to focus on their individual character, they are making all crus taste more and more similar. ''We should cultivate the differences, because differences have always existed between these hills''. There is a difference between wines from La Morra and Castiglione Falletto, he adds; these are ''sfumature'' (small differences) between aromatic profiles and types of structure. These should be respected for their ''internal value'', because originality, individuality is the strength of all things. ''I believe in the power of anarchy'', he ends his discourse.

A danger he sees in the modern viticulture of the Langhe is in reducing these differences, which should instead be accented, he thinks; they are despised at instead of being exalted. Addressing the single vineyard issue, he says: ''in the 18th century the law encouraged the usage of vineyard designations''. But it was historically refused, because it was thought by most producers to be a limitation of their freedom. He said that in the quest for freedom people ''think themselves superior to a legislator, even if he in fact was moved by a long-term project of attributing dignity to the various terrains''. He mentions that this quest for freedom also caused 18th and 19th century producers to privilege blends of Piedmontese grapes, because in this way they were able to fight the weaknesses of some vintages or of some plots. ''It is not true that I am against the cru; I am against the fantasy of cru''. Asked about the recent string of vintages, he says that 2001 is the ''6th year of serious climatic change'' in the Langhe zone which he characterises as ''African, with very quick maturations and torrid summers'', while he thinks that Nebbiolo only gives great wines when it matures slowly and gradually, with large temperature differences between night and day. I ask if he then considers the wines produced in the past decade as ''not great'', to which he only smiles. But he says that wines of the past, with a more stable climate, were more balanced and complex. Recent vintages gave excellent Barolos, he says, but ''I am linked with Barolaccio (huge, ugly Barolo), which has nothing to do with immediate pleasurability sought by contemporary consumers''. He says he is ''extremely disgusted with Barolos which are said to be ready – as if it were a quality''. He says he likes Nebbiolo tannins and not wood tannins, just as he likes Nebbiolo colour. He doesn''t want an easy, simple wine, because simple things only bore. He then mentions Corot and his approach to painting as an example of the opposite: ''I want to participate in a process of search, I do not want a Barolo which pleases, I want a dialectic Barolo to which I would feel indebted''.

7 則評論在 2015 意遊散記(七)﹕Beppe Rinaldi 的睿智.

  1. It's great to see how much passion yu put in these reviews!

    I confess, I don't understand a single word, but I watch the photos and I love it!

    ciao

    Paolo from the film Barolo Boys ( question:did you watch it? I would be glad to send you a screener)

    • Ciao, Paolo.  It's a big big surprise to "meet" you here, Paolo!  Barolo Boys is a great film.  I watched it two times, the second time before I made the recent trip to Barolo last month.  I'm now writing about the various visits to share with my friends here.  Thank you for your wonderful work.  I wonder if you would also do movies about other wine regions.  One view of Barolo Boys is better than 100 articles that I write here.  Will write to you in e-mail.  Ciao.

  2. Dear Stephen: 

    很高興從您的文章中看到他們那個發酵木槽的近況,得知它仍健在讓我感到十分高興。

    老兵不死,也不會凋零。

    Best

    YC

    • 是的,他是 Barolo 的哲學王(philosophy king)。我在一個群組裏如此說:We are forever indebted to him for raising Barolo to an intellectual and shall I say, existential level. I always remember these words of wisdom: “I like my Barolo dirty” and “I hate fruit”. We all know we love Barolo, but he lets us know WHY we do.

  3. 我也計劃下年一月去Barolo, 目前約好参觀Giacosa, 

    也很想拜會一下Giuseppe Rinaldi,你有這酒莊的電郵或其他聯絡資料嗎?

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