2015 Ronchi di Cialla Picolit
Picolit stands as one of Italy’s most precious dessert wines because of its exceptional rarity. The natural process of flower
Producer
Ronchi di Cialla
I have reviewed five wines from Ronchi di Cialla, from the 1997 to 2018 vintages, across Friuli Colli Orientali and Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit. Scores range from 94 to 97, averaging 95; the highest is the 1997 Ronchi di Cialla “Ciallabianco” (97 points). Ronchi di Cialla also features in one journal article on this site.
Ronchi di Cialla is the estate that saved Schioppettino from extinction. In the 1970s, when Friuli was replacing its local grapes with international varieties, Paolo and Dina Rapuzzi set out to preserve them; Schioppettino had even been made illegal and survived in only a few vines. For more than fifty years the family has protected it and shown the world how well it ages.
Cialla itself is a valley, a natural amphitheatre within the Colli Orientali that became a legal subzone, and its name appears only on Ronchi di Cialla labels. The vines grow on Eocene marl, ponca in Friulian dialect, which gives wines of remarkable longevity, and the family releases them only after years of ageing. The next generation, brothers Ivan and Pierpaolo, trained in entomology and introduce specific insects to the vineyard in place of pesticides, creating a thriving ecosystem where plants and animals coexist.
The Schioppettino di Cialla is the essence of the estate: black pepper, wild berries, incense and violet, with the aromatic elegance of Syrah and an Alpine crispness. The Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso turns a wild, rustic grape into something noble, and Ciallabianco blends Ribolla Gialla, Verduzzo and Picolit into a savory, mineral white that needs age. The sweet wines are treasures: Verduzzo di Cialla, a passito with firm tannins and crisp acidity, and Picolit, one of Italy’s rarest dessert wines, ethereal and light on its feet.
2015 Ronchi di Cialla Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso
The Rapuzzi family transforms wild rustic Refosco grapes into refined noble wines. The wine presents dark flavors with spicy notes
2015 Ronchi di Cialla Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso Read Post »
2018 Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino di Cialla
The grape Schioppettino represents the core essence of Ronchi di Cialla because they dedicated themselves to its survival from extinction.
1997 Ronchi di Cialla “Ciallabianco”
This is not your typical Friulian white. The Cialla Bianco represents a masterful combination of Ribolla Gialla, Verduzzo and Picolit
2006 Ronchi di Cialla Verduzzo di Cialla
The wine production process of passito style grapes results in this sweet wine which maintains a strong structure. The wine
Ronchi di Cialla: Schioppettino Revival
Wine producers exist in two categories: those who follow market trends and those who protect their land by making wine