Ronchi di Cialla Refosco del Peduncolo Rosso 2016

Ronchi di Cialla Refosco del Peduncolo Rosso 2016

Ronchi di Cialla
$46.00

Grape: Refosco del Peduncolo Rosso
Vintage: 2016
Type: Red

Sourced from the Cialla Valley in Friuli, this red wine is a pure expression of refosco del peduncolo rosso from the Rapuzzi family estate. The vines grow on steep hillsides composed of layered marl and sandstone soils that restrict yields and lock in high minerality. The winemaking utilizes low-intervention protocols, featuring a spontaneous fermentation driven by native wild yeasts in neutral wooden tuns. It matures naturally in large neutral oak casks before undergoing an extended cellar bottle aging process.

It displays a bright garnet color, releasing warm aromatics of cherry, blackberry jam, and a mineral accent of graphite. On the palate, the full-bodied, robust frame balances a concentrated fruit core with an architectural framework of sweet, integrated tannins. Savory layers of licorice and woodsmoke blend into the core across the fluid mouthfeel. A clean line of alpine acidity cuts through the volume, maintaining great verticality.

Ronchi di Cialla is the Rapuzzi family's estate in the secluded Cialla Valley of Friuli's Colli Orientali. Founded in the 1970s, the family became crucial to the survival of Schioppettino, helping rescue the native red grape from near extinction and establishing it as one of Friuli's most distinctive, ageworthy varieties. Today Pierpaolo and Ivan Rapuzzi continue to farm a biodiverse landscape and work with Schioppettino, Ribolla Gialla, Picolit, Verduzzo, Refosco and Pignolo. The wines are classical rather than fashionable, combining freshness, savory detail and remarkable longevity while preserving the agricultural identity of their valley.