94 pts Vinous Media
Drinking Window 2025 - 2038
The 2019 Schioppettino di Cialla is darkly floral with an exotic citrus tinge up front, complicated by sweet herbs, earth tones and wild strawberries. It smooths over the palate, elegant in feel with ripe red and blue fruits complemented by a hint of brown spice, yet all lifted by cooling acidity. This leaves a tart raspberry saturation and rosy inner florals while finishing long and gently tannic with a pleasant bitter bite that pinches at the cheeks. It is already enjoyable today, yet experience confirms that it will also age remarkably well. - By Eric Guido on December 2023

Two thousand twenty-four is the current vintage of discussion at Ronchi di Cialla. Winemaker Ivan Rapuzzi recounted that 2024 was a strange and challenging year, beginning with frost and hail in April that resulted in the loss of an entire parcel of Ribolla Gialla. The challenges continued through May and June with cold and rainy conditions during bloom, leading to a normal number of clusters but a small number of berries. This reduced production by around 20%. The season then shifted to extremely high temperatures and arid conditions in July and August before returning to balanced precipitation and good diurnal shifts in the fall. In the end, the harvest was healthy, but overall quantities were drastically reduced. In addition to the current releases, I also tasted a mini-vertical of the Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso di Cialla going back to 1986. I continue to be amazed by how well these wines age. Ronchi di Cialla maintains an extensive library collection and sells older vintages directly from the winery, as well as through distribution.

Varietal: 100% Schioppettino
Vineyard: From two estate vinyeards: Cjastenet 3ha; South-Southwest exposure; altitude: 150-200m; Roncjs .56 ha, terraced hills, South Southeast exposure; altitude: 165-180m. Cialla is a monopole appellation, a recognized sub-zone of Collio Orientali del Friuli where Ronchi di Cialla is the only producer.
Average age of vines: 50 years. Cialla Valley in the commune of Prepotto (Udine) – Friuli.
Soil: Eocene Marne and Marnous sandstone, alternated with carbonatic blocks.
Winemaking: Fermented in stainless steel with ambient yeast. Maceration on the skins of about 4-5 weeks with pump over twice daily.
Aging: Aged in french oak barriques (10% new, the rest second to fifth passage) for 30-36 months. Potential aging in the bottle: 20-25 years with some vintages able to evolve even longer.