Friuli-Venezia Giulia Ribolla Gialla Gravner 2016 (750ML)

95 Points, Eric Guido, Vinous: "The 2016 Ribolla Gialla Anfora is wonderfully lifted and finessed in style, entrancing the senses with a cascade of dusty dried flowers, pine shavings, ginger spice cookies, cloves and dried peaches. It is weighty upon entry with a stimulating core of zesty acidity to balance, as a savory wave of tart apples and apricots courses across the palate, leaving notes of cedar and sour citrus in its wake. Long and youthfully stern, the 2016 leaves a crunch of minerality and a sensation of inner incense while tapering off classically dry. This is a regal and refined vintage for the Ribolla Gialla Anfora. It was fermented with 20% whole clusters as the stems on the Ribolla Gialla were perfectly ripe." 10/25

94 Points, James Button, Decanter: "Gravner's Ribolla ferments on the skins in amphorae and ages for several years in large oak barrels, producing what is the quintessential Italian skin-contact wine. Spicy and textural, with a hint of Sherry flor, it's remarkably fresh and vibrant. Citrus peel and blood orange notes are carried along on a slightly warming finish. Spellbinding." 04/25

96 Points, Monica Larner, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Tasted before the 2017 to avoid the influence of that later vintage’s botrytis-driven sweetness, the Gravner 2016 Ribolla is a wine of greater depth and composure. The 2016 reflects a more complete and classically “Gravner” expression shaped by decades of refinement in extended skin maceration and amphorae aging. The color is deeply orange, signaling its concentration, while the palate shows pronounced minerality and firm, dry tannins that frame a wine of notable precision and length. Compared to the more immediate and simpler 2018, the 2016 is more complex and profound, with layered depth and an etched structure. This stands out as the most compelling wine in the lineup, distinguished by its intensity, balance and enduring finish." 04/26