2011 Ronchi di Cialla, Schioppettino di Cialla, Friuli Colli Orientali Sottozona Cialla, Italy.
This gorgeous red from northeast Italy is another wonderful secret of this region and while the whites still take center stage here, some of these reds like Ronchi di Cialla’s Schioppettino can be breathtaking. With seamless layers on a medium weight palate the Ronchi di Schioppettino di Cialla delivers a Premier Cru Burgundy level performance with a spine tingling and heady mix of floral notes, spice, earth and silken red fruits, this is serious terroir driven world class stuff! The perfume is fresh and dried roses, peppercorns, sticky lavender, brandy dipped cherries and subtle loam leading to red raspberry, strawberry and red peach fruits along with a hint of leather, porcini and kirsch. The finish is deceptively long and finessed with crisp acidity adding some cut to this beautiful wine, lingering cedar, dusty chalk, minty herb and plum/cranberry add to the detail and complexity, this Schioppettino is pure heaven. I was not all that experienced with Ronchi di Cialla, this is a stunning wine, but their whole lineup impresses, especially the Ribolla Gialla and Friulano make for impressive drinking and are great values at around $20/bt.
($48 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
