Gravner Ribolla 2018

The new vintage of this legendary amber wine has finally arrived! Following the disastrous 2017 harvest, the winery was able to resume production of its flagship Ribolla Gialla, which is macerated on the skins.

This wine is made in a very particular way; the grapes are destemmed and placed in Georgian amphorae (qvevri), buried in the floor of the underground cellar. The environment - the ground - naturally regulates fermentation temperatures. After 6-7 months of alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, and with constant punching down to mix the skins with the wine, the amphorae are emptied and the skins are pressed. The wine spends the rest of the year in the same amphora until the next harvest. At this point, the wine is transferred to large botti (foudres) to be aged for at least 6 years before bottling.

To summarize: 7 years of aging: 1 year in buried Georgian amphorae (qvevri), then 6 years in large foudres.

A unique wine in the world, and in a category of its own among orange wines!