2021 Chalmers Dott Ribolla Gialla

Ribolla Gialla, or Ribuele as it is now known in Italy, hails from Friuli. It’s the basis of now iconic cult wines coming from the area along the Slovenian border where it is often made on skins and sometimes in Amphorae by winemakers who’ve inspired the recent growth of the natural wine movement. In other parts of Friuli it’s made as a crisp, clean and somewhat aromatic white wine along with, more recently, sparkling wines – piggy-backing on the success of neighbouring Veneto’s Prosecco.

A more recent addition to the Dott. range, Ribolla Gialla is fast becoming very comfortable amongst it’s siblings. Usually planted in the cool areas of Italy, it’s adapted itself well to the northern Heathcote vineyard with its late ripening, naturally high acidity and lower alcohols, a huge benefit for warmer climate viticulture.

Harvest is usually around mid-February, the fruit is chilled overnight, pressed into tank and naturally fermented on fine solids, extended lees contact, hand bottled with no filtering, no fining and minimal sulphur addition.

The 2021 vintage is really showing up to be a ripper, with great purity and intensity of fruit, elegance and restraint, lively, persistent and looking like it’ll go the distance. This year shows lemon drops, lemon pith and cool minerality of talc and wet river stones. There’s still that green fruit element of feijoa and guava, coupled with ripe Meyer lemon and fresh lychee. The palate is where you see that more classic Ribolla come through, waxy, slippery with mealy texture and grip, zesty acidity and fine finish. – Chalmers