Ronchi di Cialla Awards

93 - PICOLIT 2013

Deep bright yellow. Subtle aromas of lime, peach Melba, and balsamic oils, with complicating notes of vanilla and honeyed tropical fruit. Then dense, rich with a glyceral texture to its peach, mango and floral flavors. Mouthfilling and horizontal, but with harmonious acidity lifting and extending the aftertaste on the suave back end. -- Ian D'Agata

91 - REFOSCO 2015

Good full red-ruby. Dark plum, mocha, and graphite on the nose, all lifted by a floral element. Fresh and deep, with flinty and herbal nuances contributing complexity to the bright flavors of dark berries and plum on the smooth palate. Spreads out impressively on the back end, finishing with sweet, fine-grained tannins and outstanding length. -- Ian D'Agata

92 - RIBOLLA GIALLA 2016

Luminous pale golden-tinged straw yellow. Pure, vibrant aromas of lemon drop, lime zest, fresh apricot, minerals and herbs. Fresh and pristine, showing delightful vibrancy and noteworthy inner-mouth perfume to the very juicy peach, citrus and herb flavors. Finishes dry and mineral, with lively citrus nuances that last and last. None other than Enzo Pontoni of Miani, perhaps Italy’s best white winemaker, told me he liked the Ronchi di Cialla’s Ribolla Giallas he had tried and so that tells you just how good this wine often is. -- Ian D'Agata

90 - RIBOLLA GIALLA DOC 2018

Bright pale yellow. Mineral and floral nuances complement aromas and flavors of nectarine, green apple, white peach, lemon drop and jasmine. Fresh and juicy, closes long and bright. - Ian D'Agata

91 - SCHIOPPETTINO 1983

Deep red-ruby with an amber rim. Very deep aromas of dark plums, blueberry nectar, camphor, and minerals. Ripe and round on entry, then slightly austere with leafy and saline nuances to the dark berry flavors. Finishes long with a strong mineral undertone and a whiplash of lemony acidity really extending the violet and red berry flavors, but the tannins aren’t quite as smooth as those of other wines in this lineup. Still, this is an extremely impressive wine, as the Schioppettino vines were only ten years old at the time. -- Ian D'Agata

92 - SCHIOPPETTINO 1992

Bright red-ruby. Captivating aromas of blue and red fruits, minerals, spicy underbrush and violet. Juicy and fresh on entry, then fuller and richer in the middle with a firm tannic spine neatly framing the very precise red and blue fruit flavors. Finishes long and pure, featuring noteworthy inner-mouth perfume. This is quite a success given the vintage. In fact, the 1992 vintage was a difficult one in Friuli and in other parts of Italy, as it was extremely rainy and cool (come fall, it rains a lot in Friuli and even more so in Cialla, but the cool microclimate is a big advantage in summers that are superhot everywhere else).-- Ian D'Agata

93- SCHIOPPETTINO 1996

Bright red; looks very young for a twenty-plus year old wine. Perfumed aromas and flavors of strawberry, raspberry and blueberry, complicated by minty herbs and violet. Bright and juicy, with vibrant but harmonious acidity neatly extending the very precise dark and red berry flavors on the long, slightly herbal finish; a strong note of eucalyptus emerges with aeration. A wine of impeccable acid-tannin balance, it offers sneaky concentration and length. A lovely Schioppettino in which the eucalyptus note speaks of a slightly warmer year that makes a balsamic note present in the wine stand out. The 1996 vintage was another good one in the Cialla area, perhaps slightly warmer and drier (especially drier) than usual. -- Ian D'Agata

91- SCHIOPPETTINO 2007

Good full ruby-red. Highly expressive nose offers blackcurrant, black plum, minerals and fresh herbs, plus a hint of green peppercorn. Lush, smooth and concentrated, with ripe black fruit and mineral flavors lifted by a floral high note and nicely framed by suave, lively acids and tannins. Thanks to its fine-grained texture, this wine maintains an elegance and a light touch typical of the best examples of schioppettino. Should give early pleasure but this is also balanced to age. -- Ian D'Agata

95- SCHIOPPETTINO 2009

Bright ruby-red. Complex, very refined aromas of blueberry, raspberry, violet, fruity peppercorn, licorice, and orange zest. Pure silk in the mouth, with enticing soil-driven salinity and harmonious acidity lifting the red and blueberry flavors. The long, pure, suave finish goes on for minutes and offers lingering spicy, herbal and floral elements. A knockout wine that is all about finesse and thrust, not just power and flesh. -- Ian D'Agata

93- SCHIOPPETTINO 2015

Bright, deep ruby-red. Captivating aromas of boysenberry, blueberry and balsamic reduction. Dense, sweet and savory, with exotic flavors of candied blackberry, wet stones and sandalwood. Sneakily concentrated, complex and enlivened by perfectly integrated acidity, this lovely example of Schioppettino finishes long with a refined mouthfeel but also palate-staining depth. -- Ian D'Agata

90 - SCHIOPPETTINO DOC 2010

Bright red. Leafy blueberry, green peppercorn and a bright violet top-note greet the nose. Fresh, juicy and vibrant, with crisp red and dark berry and underbrush flavors. The finish is long and vibrant. Much better after it sat in the glass for an hour or so, picking up in fleshy mouth-feel and sweetness of fruit. This is a very typical Cialla Schioppettino from a cool year, but it could use a little more generosity of fruit. -- Ian D'Agata

92 - VERDUZZO DI CIALLA 2013

Bright straw-yellow. Sweet spices, honey, and vanilla combine with baked apple pie and cinnamon on the nose and in the mouth. Juicy, sweet and firmly built, with polished tannins and a long creamy finish. A knockout Verduzzo. -- Ian D'Agata