2019 Schioppettino-RiNera

The Ronchi di Cialla winery is located within its own valley, like something out of a fairy tale, with roads that curve through rows of vines planted between outcroppings of forest. The family home and cellar sit at the top of a hill, overlooking vineyards in all directions. Ivan Rapuzzi runs the winery with his mother and brother, following the same traditional methods as their father before them. Thanks to Ronchi di Cialla, Schioppettino may be one of the top reds of Friuli in the not-too-distant future. The Rapuzzi family saved the variety from extinction, creating a library of wines that spans decades and proves just how well Schioppettino matures. Today, the variety has its own subzone within Friuli Colli Orientali, Schioppettino di Prepotto, while Ronchi di Cialla enjoys its own unique terroir. This year, I tasted several back vintages at the estate: 1983, 1992, 2005, 2014 and the recently released 2017. Ronchi di Cialla releases these older vintages at regular intervals and at extremely reasonable prices. As for the 2017 Schioppettino, which hailed from a tough, warm and dry year (there is no irrigation permitted in the appellation), the Rapuzzi family decided to limit the amount of time in wood to one year, down from the usual three to four years, to preserve freshness. Moreover, they lost 30% of their production due to spring frosts. As a result, this is an atypical style of Ronchi di Cialla that will be amazing to follow over the years. Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention the white wines of Cialla, which include an off-dry Verduzzo that’s to die for, the age-worthy Ciallabianco, a blend of 65% Ribolla Gialla, 25% Picolit and 10% Verduzzo, and a varietal Ribolla Gialla. While the entire portfolio is worth seeking out, the Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino is a must for lovers of deeply complex, age-worthy wines.

Cialla is located in the eastern reaches of Friuli Colli Orientali, yet it is quite unique from the surrounding areas, as valleys run deep between its forested higher elevations, and vineyards can be found like a patchwork strewn throughout. If there was only one producer that you could ever taste the wines of from this zone, it would have to be Ronchi di Cialla. Their winery sits atop a hill of vines, like a mirage in a desert. It was here that the now-deceased Paolo Rapuzzi and his wife, Dina, had the passion and insights to save the Schioppettino variety from near extinction, a story that my predecessor told very well in his article, “Ronchi di Cialla's Schioppettino di Cialla: 1982-2010” in June of 2017. Along with saving Schioppettino, they also proved the importance of the variety, as today it is truly one of the most interesting and age-worthy reds being produced in Friuli. However, in my opinion, Ronchi di Cialla's Schioppettino remains the best. While at the estate, I was able to taste with Ivan Rapuzzi, the current-generation winemaker, and taste both new vintages and old. One of the highlights of this property is their regular release of library wines, both red and white, as well as the reasonable prices attached to them. These wines mature amazingly well, evidenced by my experience with the 1996 and 1984 Schioppettino di Cialla, as well as the 1998 Ciallabianco (a blend of Ribolla Gialla, Picolit and Verduzzo). Ivan Rapuzzi runs the winery with his mother and brother, and the family has chosen to change nothing about the traditional wines of the estate, but to only add some fresher expressions to the lineup, such as the zesty Ciallarosso, a blend of Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and Schioppettino. This is not just a historic winery, but also a historic family. The wines that they are producing today deserve serious consideration.