Ronchi di Cialla - Schioppettino di Cialla 2018

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Producer	Ronchi di Cialla
Country	Italy
Region	Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Subregion	Colli Orientali
Varietal	Schioppettino
Vintage	2018
Sku	12017286
Size	750ml

  

V

95

• Region: Friuli
• Appellation: Collio Orientali del Friuli-Cialla
• Varietals: Schioppettino
• Vineyard: Sourced from the estate vineyards of Cjastenet and Roncjs.
• 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 quality of the environment in which it operates.
• Vinification: Fermented in stainless steel with ambient yeast. Maceration on the skins of about four to fie weeks with pump over twice daily.
• Aging: Aged in french oak bariques (10% new, the rest second to fifth passage) for 30-36 months.
• 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.

The 2018 Schioppettino di Cialla is impossible to ignore. It's profoundly floral and herbal with rose petals, wilted violets, wet stone and ginger-tinged blackberry aromas. It opens with a pleasant inner sweetness and richer than expected, yet perfectly balanced, with depths of ripe wild berry fruits contrasted by spiced blood orange. For all of its depth and concentration, fresh acidity lifts the experience through the finish, leaving a candied citrus and white pepper tinge while tapering off classically dry. What a beauty. The 2018 is the child of a cool vintage, yet there's so much power and density here. Bury your bottles deep.