Blog Archives

Image

Tasting Collio Ribolla Gialla

My  visit to  the Collio region of Friuli Venezia Giulia on a  press trip sponsored by The Consorzio Di Tutela Vini Collio was very informative and interesting.

Among the events was a tasting of 10 Friulano (Tocai) DOC Collio wines and a tasting of 7 examples of Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio.

Ribolla Gialla may be the most ancient grape of Collio (1289).  It may have originated in the Collio/Goriska Brda region.  In the 14th Century, Giovanni Boccaccio wrote in his Decameron that drinking too much Ribolla was one of the sins of gluttony.  But by the late 1980’s, international grapes had pushed Ribolla into the background and very little was produced.  The turn of the century brought a renewed interest in the grape and it now plays a large role in the white wines of Collio.

The tasting of Ribolla Gialla was held at the Humar Winery and as with all the formal tastings, it was conducted by Richard Baudains, an English wine writer.

Nataša Humar was at the tasting and spoke about her wine and Ribolla Gialla in general.

The Wines

Humar Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio 2022.  Made from 100% Ribolla Gialla. The winery is in Valerisce di San Floriano in the heart of Collio. There are 12 hectares of vineyards. The training system is guyot and there are 4,800 plants per hectare. Manual harvest. Traditional white winemaking. Temperature controlled maceration for 24 hours, soft pressing of the grapes and fermentation at a controlled temperature in stainless steel vats where the juice remains until the following spring. The wine remains in the bottle for two months before release. It has hints of apple, peach and lemon with firm acidity. $15  Nataša said Humar is a family-run winery.

Gradis’Ciutta Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio 2022 made from 100% Ribolla Galla from vineyards in Ruttars and Bukova in the southwest side of Mount Calario at 180 meters. The training system is guyot. Traditional white wine vinification. The grapes are cryo-macerated for 24 hours, then pressed and fermented at a controlled temperature. The wine is kept on the lees until it is bottled. The wine has ints of apple, citrus and creamy notes. Organic. $26

Livon Ribolla Gialla Roncato DOC Collio 2022 made from 100% Ribolla Gialla in Ruttars in Dolegno del Collio. The soil is marl and clay. Manual harvest. Cold maceration takes place followed by a cleaning of the must. Fermentation is in stainless steel at a controlled temperature for 8 months and the wine remains in the same container to age for another 8 months on the lees. The wine then remains in the bottle until release. Straw yellow color. Hints of peach, floral notes, citrus, with a hint of fennel and a note of white pepper.$15

Bolzicco Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio 2022 made from 100% Ribolla Gialla. The winery is located in Cormòns at the foot of Mount Quern between Collio and Isonzo areas.  There are 8 hectare of vineyards. Vines were planted in 1987 and the training system is Cappuccino. Harvest takes place from the middle to the end of September. The grapes are pressed and there is a cold decantation for 12 hours. Fermentation is in stainless steel at a controlled  temperature for 12/18 days. The wine is then aged in steel for 10 to 12 months. Straw yellow with green reflections, fruity and floral with hints of apple, strawberry, citron, lime and a balsamic note. $16

Tenuta Stella Ribolla Gialla DOC 2020 made from 100% Ribolla Gialla. The exposure is south/east and the vineyard is at 270 meters. Fermentation at a controlled temperature with indigenous yeasts 90% in stainless steel and 10% maceration on the skins for 15 days in large vats made from French oak. The wine is aged for 10 months in 70% steel and 30% in second passage French oak. The wine has a golden yellow color with hints of apple, peach, spice with floral notes and a touch of vanilla.$20

Colmello Di Grotto Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio 2020 made from 100% Ribolla Gialla with an average age of 15 years in Far d’Isonzo (Gorizia). The soil is marl and sandstone of oceanic origin. The vineyards are at 110 meters and the training system is guyot. Manual harvest the second week of September. Fermentation is with selected yeasts for 7 to 12 days. Aging is in stainless steel and amphorae.  Straw yellow in color flowery, fruity  with a hint of tangerine and a note peach and a long finish. $18

Primosic Ribolla Gialla Riserva (Orange Wine) DOC Collio 2018 made from 100% Ribolla Gialla from vineyards in Oslavia that are 30-35 years old. The soil is ponca (marl and sandstone). Fermentation is in open vats with 30 days skin contact. Aging is on the lees in Slavonian oak for 2 years and then 1 year in bottle before release. This is a dry wine with hints of green tea, orange grind and dried apricots. Dark orange color. The producer said that the wine is “Born with Slavic soul, the Orange wines of Primosic are a tribute to the heritage and ancient winemaking practices.” $29. Ribolla Gialla is a grape with a thick skin so it is perfect for long skin maceration.

It  was very interesting to taste Fruliano (Tocai) and Ribolla Gialla, the two grape varieties I identify the most with Collio, on successive days. The wines are very different. Tocai can be more Sauvignon Blanc- like with herbal notes, hints of tomato leaf and fennel, while Ribolla is rounder, has more body and has notes of tangerine, peach, and strawberry and can even be creamy.

2 Comments

August 14, 2023 · 1:19 am
Image

Fourteen Wines Under $20

Well-priced good wines can be found in all price ranges.  Here are some that I tried recently.

Alvarinho 2017 (Vinho Verde) Soalheiro Portugal 100% Alvarinho. Hand picked grapes from several small vineyards planted in granite soil at 100 to 400 meters located in the Melgaco region in the northern point of Portugal. After pressing and before fermentation, which is temperature controlled, the must is decanted during 48 hours at a low temperature.  I first had this wine in a restaurant in Lisbon. $11

Romeo & Juliet Passione Sentimento Bianco Veneto IGT 2017 (Veneto) Pasqua made from 100% Garganega and dried in the fruttaio (drying chamber) for 15 days. This results in the concentration of sugars and floral aromas. After crushing, maceration on the skins takes place for over 12 hours. Vinification is with selected yeasts and a portion of the wine is aged in new French oak barrels for a few months. The wine has hints of citrus fruit, peaches and a touch of almonds. It is an easy to drink wine. $16

Falanghina Beneventano 2015 DOC 100% Falanghina. Campania, Italy Donnachiara The vineyard is the Torre Cuso, the best location for Falanghina. The soil is volcanic, chalky clay, the vines are 16 years old, the training system is guyot and there are 2,500 vines per hectare. The grapes are not destemmed or crushed before pressing. Cold fermentation is in stainless steel and there is extended maceration. This is a crisp white wine with citrus fruit aromas and flavors, nice acidity and good minerality. This is one of my favorite white wines and I always have a bottle or two on hand. $17 . I first had this wine at the winery.

Lugana DOC “Mandolara” 2017 (Veneto) Le Morette made from 100% Turbiana grapes from the vineyard on a narrow strip of land on the shore of Lake Garda. The training system is guyot, double and short modified and there are 3,500 plants per hectare. Harvest is by hand in the second half of September. After a very soft crushing, vinification takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and the wine remains in the bottle for at least one month before release. This is a fresh fruity wine with hints of apple and peach and a touch of bitter almonds in the finish. The name of the wine comes from a particular protected species of wild ducks which nest in Lake Frassino.  The ducks are the symbol of the farm. $18

Bianco delle Regine 2016 (Umbria) Castello delle Regina made from 30% Chardonnay, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Riesling and 10% Pinot Grigio. Harvest takes place by hand in the middle of August. Each grape variety is vinified separately in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks of 50 to 75 HL. The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation in order to preserve its freshness. This is an aromatic white wine with hints of citrus fruit with a touch of lime and good acidity. $15

Moscato Sicilia 2016 IGT (Salemi, Sicily)100% Moscato di Alexandria Stella. The vineyard is 25 acres and the training system is guyot. There are 1,600 vines vines/acre, and the elevation is 1,485 feet with a northern/southern exposure. The vines were planted in 2000 and the first vintage was in 2010. Harvest was in August. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks for 12 days. Malolactic fermentation does not take place and the wine ages in stainless steel.  The alcohol level is 10%. This is a wine with hints of white peaches, tropical fruit and good acidity. $11

Nebbiolo 2014 Paso Robles (Califorina) Caparone 100% Nebbiolo macerated on the skins for 45 days, in completely enclosed stainless fermenters. It was light in color like Nebbiolo should be. The wine is unfiltered and unfined. In a blind tasting I might have said it was like a Nebbiolo from the north of Piedmont but in a much lighter style with more red fruit and less of the tar, tobacco and dried fruit character. This winery make wines that can last for years. Recently I had their 2002 Merlot which could last for another 20 years. $18

Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2016 DOC None (Abruzzo, Italy) made from 100% Montepulciano D’Abruzzo Stella. The soil is sandy, the training system is Pergola/Arbor trained and the elevation is 900 feet. There are 1,000 vines per acre and the vines were planted in 1995. The first vintage was in 1998 and harvest takes place in September. Fermentation is in stainless tanks and the alcohol fermentation lasts for 7 days. Maceration technique is by pumpovers and it lasts for 5 days. Malolactic fermentation takes place and the wine ages 5 months before bottling and 4 months in bottle before release. The wine has hints of black cherries, strawberries and a touch of herbs. $11

Romeo & Juliet Passione Sentimento Rosso Veneto IGT 2016 (Veneto) Pasqua made from Corvina, Croatina and Merlot. The grapes are hand picked and a portion of the Corvina and Merlot are put into small crates in the fruttaio to dry until they lose 30% of their water content and gain high sugar content. This is then blended with the juice from the non-dried grapes and vinified in steel tanks. Following fermentation the grapes age in oak tonneaux for about 4 months and then aged in bottle before release. The wine has hints of cherry, plum and a touch of spice. $16 .

Negroamaro Del Salento IGP 2016 (Puglia) Varvaglione made from 100% Negroamaro  Vinification with temperature control maceration and malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged in large barrels (botti)  of French oak for at least 3 months. The wine has fresh fruit flavors and aromas with hints of cherry and spice $12

 

Pinot Nero Rolhut 2015 DOC (Alto Adige, Italy) Peter Zemmer The stems are immediately removed and the grapes are fermented at a constant temperature of 26 – 28° C (79 – 82° F) for about 7 days. The must is kept in contact with the skins through circulation pumping and gentle pressure from below.  After two gentle rackings, 70% of this Pinot Noir is aged over 12 months in large barrels of French oak, and the remainder is aged in small casks of French oak (barriques), which are 2 – 3 years old. After blending, 750 ml Bordeaux-style bottles are filled and the wine is aged an additional 6 months in the bottle before it goes on sale. This is a fruity wine with hints of red berries, cherries and a touch of blueberries. $18

Umbria Rosso IGT “Vascellarus”  2016 (Umbria) Argillae made from 85% Montepulciano, and 15 Cabernet Sauvignon. The training method is guyot and there are 3,333 vines per hectare. Harvest is by hand in October. The grapes are crushed and destemmed and there is a 25/30-day maceration period with frequent pumpovers on the skins, accompanied by several rack and return procedures. Alcoholic fermentation is in steel tanks at a controlled temperature and malolactic fermentation takes place in barriques. The wine is aged in French barriques with racking on a regular basis, depending on the need. The wine remains in the bottle for another 8/12 months before release. The wine has hints of ripe red fruit, spice, black pepper and vanilla notes. $18

Côtes-du-Rhone Samorëns Blanc 2015 (France) made from Clairette and Grenache. Ferraton Père & Fils The grapes are picked at the peak of ripeness and quickly chilled upon arrival at the winery via a chill tunnel. After pressing, the must is cold-settled for 48 hours. Vinification in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks where many lots will undergo malolactic fermentation. The wine is then blended and bottled without the use of oak. It has fresh citrus aromas and flavors with hints of white peach and good acidity. $15

Gaia Red Blend 2015 (Argentina) Domaine Bousquet made from 50% Malbec, 45% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. There is a manual harvest: for the Syrah the 2nd week of April, Malbec the 3rd week of April, and the Cabernet Sauvignon 4th week of April. There is a cold fermentation for 72 hours. Fermentation is with selected yeast at a maximum temperature of 27C for 12 days. Maceration is for 14 days and the wine is aged in used French barrels for 10 months. This is a fruity wine with aromas and flavors of black fruit with a hint if blueberries and a touch of spice.  Alcohol is 14%.  $19

 

 

2 Comments

January 14, 2019 · 2:29 am