2018 Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino di Cialla, Friuli Colli Orientali
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Ronchi di Cialla is a legendary property located in Friuli in the north east of Italy a few miles from the Slovenian border. Founded by Dina and Paolo Rapuzzi in 1970, Ronchi di Cialla has been on the forefront of preserving and understanding the indigenous varieties of Friuli. Their first mission has to be regarded as an unreserved success elevating the Schioppettino grapes variety from commercial extinction and defacto outlaw status to one of the most highly regard in the area. The Rapuzzi family has always worked with an eye towards biodiversity and holistic sustainability even beyond their vineyards, fighting to rebuild the Cialla valley surrounding the winery with indigenous trees and plants. Their strenuous efforts over the decades have resulted in a rare elevation in the world of wine; their land now stands as a legally recognized monopole on the same status as Sassicaia or Chateau Grillet: Friuli Colli Orientali Sottozona Cialla. Long story short (might be a little late for that) these guys rock in all the best ways!
The Schioppettino di Cialla is in many ways the most important wine made by the Rapuzzi family each year and is certainly a labor of love. Back in the 1970's Schioppettino was not listed in the Italian national registry of grapes effectively making it illegal to grow. The prevailing fashion at the time was to embrace more well known French grapes like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon but the Rapuzzi family was dedicated to working with indigenous grapes that had fallen out of favor. Ronchi di Cialla tackled that in two ways; first by planting a vineyard of Schioppettino on their estate (essentially becoming fine wine bootleggers!) and second by lobbying the government to relist the grape with those efforts succeeding in 1976. The grape is now universally recognized as one of the most important in Fruili and as an indelible part of the wine culture, saved almost entirely by this single family. I don't have enough words to describe how badass the Rapuzzi's are for that.
The wine itself is drawn from old vines in the Cialla valley, is fermented in stainless steel with 4-5 weeks of skin contact, and aged mostly neutral French oak for 30-36 months. The most overt thing about this wine is how insanely peppery it is - fresh cracked black pepper leaps out of the glass. Beyond that it sports vibrant red fruit, delicate floral tones, and just a touch of wild herbs (sgae and rosemary). The wine is quite light on the palate with low alcohol, faint tannin, and driven but very well integrated acidity. Try it with duck, rabbit, pork sausage, stuffed peppers, or cheese and charcuterie. - Andy Paynter
