2006 Ribolla Gialla Bianco
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Tasting notes
Fermented with the skins but usually without the stems in Georgian qvevri buried underground with ambient yeast and no temperature control. The wine is drawn off and pressed and then put back into clean qvevri for another five months at least. Five years in large old oak. Unfined and unfiltered. This seems more immediately aromatic than the 2007, with more marked apricot character, even orange and smoky lapsang. Smells sweeter (though it is still bone dry). Clear freshness though perhaps with a touch of heat on the finish. This wine coped better with the accompanying smoked eel than the 2007 did. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2006 Ribolla Gialla Anfora hits the palate with massive structure. A powerful, rich, tannic wine, the 2006 shows the pedigree Ribolla is capable of in pristine hillside sites farmed with maniacal care. Smoke, tobacco, dried apricots, wild flowers and smoke all add nuance on the finish. The 2006 is magnificent in the way it marries detail with sheer power.
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.