The 'liquid magic' is back - 2019 Schioppettino from Ronchi di Cialla
This remains one of the absolute top producers in Friuli, frankly in a league of their own, thanks to the long-standing traditions that the Rapuzzi family have upheld and their unique terroir.
Eric Guido, vinous.com, April 2024
2019 Schioppettino di Cialla, Ronchi di Cialla
£195 per 6 bottle case in bond
This is perhaps one of the more surprising wines to have developed a near cult-like following amongst our clients but underlines what good taste they have! This is a personal favourite…it isn’t from a particularly famous region, nor a well-known grape variety and, while it is from the leading exponent in the region, the producer’s recognition is limited, and the price is very modest indeed. The wine? Schioppettino di Cialla from Ronchi di Cialla.
Schioppettino is a tricky variety to cultivate, it is a big berry with thin skins, so tannins are low as is colour. It prefers cooler vintages and can struggle in hotter ones, but, when conditions are favourable, it can really deliver great quality and a truly unique style. We have offered several vintages previously and I think the 2019 ranks pretty highly in my experience.
Background:
Wine critic, Ian d’Agata once commented that ‘Friuli Venezia Giulia’s Schioppettino is one of the world’s most interesting and potentially great red grape varieties.’ High praise indeed for an obscure grape variety, though Schioppettino’s roots stretch back to the 13th century, when it was associated with the communes of Prepotto and Albana to the east of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, some 50km northeast of Venice. Today it is still grown here and over the border it shares with Slovenia, but very little of it remains. By the 1970s, not one estate was making a varietal Schioppettino, until the Rapuzzi family of Ronchi di Cialla took up the challenge after being encouraged by Italian wine journalist Luigi Veronelli. Today, other producers exist, all encouraged by the success that they have witnessed at Ronchi di Cialla.
When the Rapuzzis founded Ronchi di Cialla (ronchi meaning cultivated hillside in Italian and cialla derived from the Slovenian word cela, meaning stream), Schioppettino was not even authorised for cultivation by the Ministry of Agriculture. After a lengthy period of lobbying to get Schioppettino recognised, including founding an awards ceremony to champion the uniqueness of Friuli, in which the Rapuzzis won favour, Schioppettino was finally authorised and Ronchi di Cialla’s first official vintage was the 1977. This is very much the abridged version and if you are interested in reading more, Ian d’Agata wrote a great article on this estate for vinous.com in June 2017 that is hugely informative. I won’t get into an analysis of Italian Wine Law, but it is remarkable to think that planting and cultivating Schioppettino, an indigenous variety that had been cultivated here since the 13th century, was at any point illegal! When the Rapuzzis planted vines at Cialla they were effectively breaking the law. If you think the struggle with the authorities sounds like a nightmare, consider that Friuli was devastated by an earthquake in 1976, which destroyed the cellar at Ronchi di Cialla forcing the Rapuzzi family to pick themselves up and start over once more…
Today, all of these trials and tribulations are behind them – the estate is well-established and extends over 28 hectares, eight of which are planted with Schioppettino, largely on marl soils. In fact, Ronchi di Cialla is the reference point for the variety and is one of only two estates in Italy that are recognised as DOCs or appellations in their own right – the other being Sassicaia. Two different qualities of Schioppettino are made, with the Schioppettino di Cialla offered here representing their top bottling and most ageworthy wine. Indeed, the Rapuzzis hold back stock to mature it in their own cellars for later release, so this estate has extensive library stock by Italian standards. The fruit for the top bottling sees around 20 to 25 days of maceration (skins in contact with juice) though this is edged back for the entry level offering, labelled Ribolla Nera. Ageing for the ‘Cialla’ cuvee takes place in French oak barriques, with just 10% new oak in order not to overshadow the fruit. It is aged for 14-18 months in barrique before bottling, depending on the vintage, and is then aged for a further 30-36 months in bottle before release – nothing is hurried. As mentioned above, Schioppettino prefers cooler microclimates and can struggle in hot vintages as it has relatively thin skins – Pierpaolo Rapuzzi compares it to a white variety, in terms of its demands, and harvest is invariably in the latter half of October.
2019 Schioppettino di Cialla, Ronchi di Cialla
£195 per 6 bottle case in bond
My note:
I always find this such a fascinating wine. The 2019 is bright, and translucent in the glass, with notes of dusky cherry, a certain savoury, earthiness, with violet-like floral notes. Silken on the palate, graceful with a Pinot-like elegance and bright juiciness. It is light to medium bodied yet with a sneaky depth, with modest alcohol and a vibrant, minerally acidity. Admirably ripe, but always retaining that cool-climate focus, there is a zesty, tangy almost citrus twang to the finish, which reveals the classic peppery notes that are associated with high class Schioppettino. The fruit is characterful – reminiscent of wild hedgerow fruits and the acidity suggests this has capacity to age. Beautifully balanced, highly individual, and a wine that shows that intensity and persistence of flavour are utterly unrelated to density. I know nothing like this, and while I have tasted other Schioppettinos, Ronchi di Cialla’s is streets ahead. As Ian d’Agata once said; ‘in the right hands Schioppettino is able to weave an uncanny amount of liquid magic’, and I can’t argue with that. (SL) Drink now to 2040
94 points, Eric Guido, vinous.com, October 2025
The 2019 Schioppettino di Cialla is darkly floral with an exotic citrus tinge up front, complicated by sweet herbs, earth tones and wild strawberries. It smooths over the palate, elegant in feel with ripe red and blue fruits complemented by a hint of brown spice, yet all lifted by cooling acidity. This leaves a tart raspberry saturation and rosy inner florals while finishing long and gently tannic with a pleasant bitter bite that pinches at the cheeks. It is already enjoyable today, yet experience confirms that it will also age remarkably well. Drink 2025-2040
Please let us know of your interest.
Simon
simon.larkin@atlasfinewines.com