The rescue of indigenous grape varieties from the brink of extinction has become a familiar theme all over the Italian peninsula. As SommSelect Editorial Director David Lynch notes, Friulian Schioppettino has rewarded the effort more than most.
As you dive deeper into Italian wine, you’ll quickly see that each of Italy’s 21 regions is like a wine nation in miniature, with some indigenous grapes so localized that they’re not even found in neighboring states. Piedmont has quite a few of these—like Pelaverga, for example, which is not merely unique to Piedmont but to just a handful of towns within Piedmont—and Friuli-Venezia Giulia is similarly blessed. When I first started visiting Friuli, Italy’s northeastern-most region, in the late-1990s, the most talked-about red wines among consumers were Bordeaux-style blends crafted from Merlot and the Cabernets; among producers, on the other hand, the excitement centered on once-forgotten local grapes such as Pignolo and Schioppettino. In the case of Schioppettino—bottled evidence of which was scarce up until very recently—the producer credited with spearheading its revival is Ronchi di Cialla. Today’s 2011 is what would rightly be called a standard-bearer, and more important still, it’s a serious, cellar-worthy bottle of red wine and not merely a novelty. I’m a sucker for a good “rescued from extinction” story, of which there are plenty in Italy, but frankly, there are instances when I question whether the effort was worth it. Not so with Schioppettino, especially in the hands of the region’s acknowledged master. Reminiscent at times of Northern Rhône Syrah and at others of Left Bank Bordeaux, this is not merely an interesting indigenous red but an important one. With a few years of bottle age behind it, it’s showing great elegance, breed, and aromatic intrigue—a delicious diversion from your comfort zone, to say the least.
“Ronchi” is the plural of a Friulian dialect word meaning “hillside,” and it is seen on more than a few Friulian wine labels (sometimes in its singular form, ronco). Cialla is the name of the small hamlet where this historic property is located, not far from Udine within the Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC appellation. Alternately known as Ribolla Nera, Schioppettino has been the signature achievement of the Rapuzzi family of Ronchi di Cialla, who first purchased the estate in 1970 with the mission of showcasing indigenous grapes. Back then, Schioppettino vines were so scarce that the variety wasn’t even recognized by law as an “authorized” grape, but Dina and Paolo Rapuzzi sought out plant material wherever they could find it and eventually grafted more and more vineyards over to the grape. Their first ‘commercial’ vintage of a varietal red from Schioppettino was 1977, and its success inspired others in the region to work with the variety. Nevertheless, it’s hardly a grape you see in wide circulation: Beyond Ronchi di Cialla, I can think of only a handful of Schioppettinos in any kind of significant distribution in the US market.
Dina and Paolo Rapuzzi’s sons, Pierpaolo and Ivan, have since joined the estate, which spans nearly 30 hectares of vineyards and includes not just Schioppettino but other indigenous Friulian varieties such as Ribolla Gialla, Verduzzo, and Picolit. Their wines are very traditionally made and held back for significant periods before being released into the market. Today’s 2011 was aged 18 months in mostly used oak barrels and then spent four years aging in bottle before its initial release. For all intents and purposes, this 2011 is the winery’s current release of Schioppettino.
In the spirit of old-school Gran Reserva Rioja, Ronchi di Cialla’s 2011 Schioppettino di Cialla has been aged for you—and it is indeed ready to drink now, while promising many more years of evolution ahead of it. In the glass it’s a deep, reflective ruby with hints of magenta and orange at the rim. The fruit component skews toward the darker end of the spectrum, with notes of blackcurrant and blackberry mixing with scents of lavender, violet, tar, turned earth, and a distinctive cracked pepper note that calls Northern Rhône Syrah to mind. The tannins have had a chance to smooth into velvet, and there’s still enough fresh acidity to keep the wine lifted and energetic on the palate. It is medium- to medium-plus in body, and has gained a layer of meaty savor with time in bottle. As I spent time with this wine, I had moments where it hinted at Bordeaux from St-Julien and others where it suggested a Mourvèdre-based red from Provence. Ultimately, it throws a lot of unique sensations at you in a terrifically balanced, elegant package. Decant it about 30 minutes before serving in Bordeaux stems at 60-65 degrees; I’d like it best with something off the grill to pick up on its peppery kick. It’s a delicious change of pace and a wine I’d be thrilled to have in my cellar. Cheers!
— David Lynch
