2016 Gravner Ribolla Venezia Giulia
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Ribolla Gialla Anfora is wonderfully lifted and finessed in style, entrancing the senses with a cascade of dusty dried flowers, pine shavings, ginger spice cookies, cloves and dried peaches. It is weighty upon entry with a stimulating core of zesty acidity to balance, as a savory wave of tart apples and apricots courses across the palate, leaving notes of cedar and sour citrus in its wake. Long and youthfully stern, the 2016 leaves a crunch of minerality and a sensation of inner incense while tapering off classically dry. This is a regal and refined vintage for the Ribolla Gialla Anfora. It was fermented with 20% whole clusters as the stems on the Ribolla Gialla were perfectly ripe.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Eric Guido, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Spent three to five months in qvevri from Georgia and then aged in big barrels. A portion of between 16 and 20% is aged on skins. Pale orange (less than half the usual sulphites added). Smells of the sort of orange-cream centre in a box of chocolates. Not aggressively chewy. Tangy, salty and dry with a hint of caramel. Went well with sea-bass carpaccio with blood orange and hazelnuts. (JR)
About the producer
Along with the likes of Radikon, Joško Gravner – whose vines straddle the Italian-Slovenian border – is a leading light of the natural-wine movement. His skin-contact Ribolla Gialla has inspired many imitators, while the rare Pignolo is prized by those in the know.