Historically, mentions of Schioppettino date all the way back to 1282 and the grape has been known by different names in different regions, according to the language of the land they are: Sclopetin (Friuli), Pocalza (Slovenia) and Ribolla Nera (Italy). Since its origins, Schioppettino has always been grown in a very small area on the southern hills of the Prepotto county and traditionally, two “cru” stand out for quality: Cialla e Albana. Between the time of 1800 and 1900 all the Schioppettino vines were almost completely destroyed with the spread of terrible grape diseases like “oidio” and “fillossera” and the cultivation of Schioppettino was completely abandoned. It wasn’t until 1970, when Paolo and Dina Rapuzzi managed to find about 70 surviving vines, which thankfully enabled them to create a whole new vineyard and resuscitate Schioppettino. This 1999 Schioppettino from Ronchi di Cialla is absolutely gorgeous, impressive for its beautiful soft, silky and refined texture. It possesses wonderful aromas of cherries, dark berries, spices, wet stones and a touch of leather which resonate through the wine. It remains balanced with lovely acidity keeping it lively through the satin finish. A remarkable showing from Ronchi di Cialla that only continued to improve with multiple hours of air contact, that being said, this should certainly be worthy of an extended stay in the cellar. (Best 2015-2025) - February, 2015 (JD)
93 POINTS
Wine Specifications
Report Date: February, 2015
Drinking Window: 2015-2025
Suggested Value: $66
Vintage: 1999
Producer: Ronchi di Cialla
Country: Italy
Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Appellation: Colli Orientali del Friuli
Importer: Soilair Selections
