Ronchi di Cialla Ciallabianco 2014

Ronchi di Cialla Ciallabianco 2014

Ronchi di Cialla
$42.00

Grape: Ribolla Gialla, Picolit, Verduzzo
Vintage: 2014
Type: White

This white wine is an estate expression of a traditional blend composed of sixty percent ribolla gialla, thirty percent picolit, and ten percent verduzzo. Sourced from the Cialla Valley in Friuli, the Rapuzzi family manages the vineyards under a microclimate where Adriatic currents meet pre-alpine slopes. The hand-picked grapes undergo a spontaneous native fermentation driven by wild vineyard yeasts inside neutral oak barrels. It undergoes a natural maturation process, aging on its fine lees in wood for several months.

It displays a bright gold-straw hue, releasing clean aromas of white peach, yellow orchard fruit, and field flowers. A sleek, medium-bodied frame balances orchard fruit flavors with an underlying waxy, rich texture from the lees contact. A lively wave of natural acidity cuts through the volume, maintaining great freshness and structural power. Notes of almond and a salinity add depth across the clean framework. It concludes bone-dry with an elegant finish.

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.