Ronchi di Cialla - Friuli Colli Orientali Cialla Bianco 2021

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Producer	Ronchi di Cialla
Country	Italy
Region	Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Subregion	Colli Orientali
Varietal	White Blend
Vintage	2021
Sku	12017283
Size	750ml

  

V

92

The aromas are very subtle and elegant, with hints of pear, apple and plum fruit, of vanilla and with floral notes of acacia and jasmine. Dry, full-bodied with very well-balanced acidity and refined minerality; it shows notes of grace and elegance, remarkable character and unique personality.

• Region: Friuli
• Appellation: Collio Orientali del Friuli-Cialla
• Varietals: Ribolla Gialla, Verduzzo, & Picolit
• Vineyard: Sourced from the estate vineyard of Quercigh (4.69 hectare).
• Soil: Their soil is a mix of marl (clay & lime) with marly limestone. It is a particular type of marl with a high pH. The high pH in the soil adds to the potential for aging in the wine.
• Viticulture: Both Ivan and his brother, Pierpaolo, are entomologists, and so biodiversity is incredibly important to them. The winery is certified "Biodiversity Friend" which is an organization that surveys and protects biodiversity, ensuring that the production process does not lead to a loss of biodiversity and that the producer is committed to improving the qualityof the environment in which it operates.
• Vinification: Normally the Ribolla Gialla and Verduzzo are harvested and fermented together. The Picolit is normally harvested about 10-15 days later. Fermented in barriques, about 10% new and the rest second to fifth passage.
• Aging: Aged for an additional 11 months in those same barriques followed by at least 20 months in bottle.
• Notes: Cialla is a monopole appellation, a recongized sub-zone of Collio Orientali del Friuli where Ronchi di Cialla is the only producer.

Ronchi di Cialla is an historic producer in the Collio Orientali del Friuli, just under three miles as the crow flies from the Slovenian border.  Ronchi means “hills,” and Cialla, the name of the valley comes from the Slovenian word cela which means “stream.” Friuli is most known for the appellations of Collio, known more for white wines, Carso, known mostly for its red, iron-rich soil, and Collio Orientali del Friuli known for both red and white. Branching off from the rest of the Collio Orientali del Friuli, running into the mountains from southwest to northeast is the small Cialla Valley. The valley is isolated from the rest of the Collio Orientali del Friuli. Nestled in the mountains the valley is windy and cool valley with a higher percentage of rainfall than in the rest of Collio Orientali del Friuli. Their valley has the marl (clay & limestone) found in the Collio and the rest of the Collio Orientali del Friuli, but at Cialla there is a higher percentage of limestone. All of these are key to what makes the Cialla Valley so special. So special, in fact, that they were awarded their own monopole sub-appellation (like Sassicaia & Chateau Grillet among others), so their top wines carry the appellation Collio Orientali del Friuli-Cialla. Important to mention as well is that this valley is where Dina and Paolo Rapuzzi revived the near-extinct Schioppettino variety after founding the Ronchi di Cialla estate. In fact, all Schioppettino found in Friuli, not to mention California, can be traced back to Dina and Paolo and the Cialla valley.

Savory, nearly slaty in profile, the 2021 Ciallabianco wafts up with a burst of crushed rocks and wild herbs giving way to young peach. This opens with a pretty inner sweetness quickly balanced by saline mineral tones and brisk Ribolla acidity as crisp orchard fruits cascade throughout. The 2021 finishes spicy and long, lightly tannic, leaving the mouth watering as nuances of ginger slowly fade.