RONCO DEL GELSO

Wine Advocate ratings

In February 2021 issue of The Wine Advocate the Ronco del Gelso wines received really entusiastic ratings!

94 Pts.

2016 Aur Traminer Passito

A release of only 6,000 375-milliliter bottles, the Ronco del Gelso 2016 Aur Traminer Passito opens to a dark golden color with greenish-copper hues. Made with air-dried grapes, this is a generous and expressive wine with a large frame despite its diminutive bottle. The bouquet erupts with loud aromas of butterscotch, sweet almond, caramel, brown sugar, candied fruit and maple syrup. I could add a longer list of adjectives, as this wine gives you so much material to work with. The finish is sweet and sticky, but there is enough acidity and even some pretty herbal notes that remove any residual heaviness.

92 Pts.

2018 Friuli Isonzo Rive Alte Latimis

A pretty blend of 55% Pinot Bianco, 25% Riesling and 20% Traminer Aromatico, the Ronco del Gelso 2018 Friuli Isonzo Rive Alte Latimis is a lovely, bright white wine with a zesty, citrusy character. Lemon and tangerine are followed by ample and more generous tones of creamy almond, pie crust and orchard fruit. Dusty mineral makes for a fitting final signature. This wine offers attractive balance with a medium-weight mouthfeel that hits the spot. Production is 12,000 bottles.

91 Pts.

2018 Friuli Isonzo Rive Alte Chardonnay Siet Vignis

Aged in 25-hectoliter oval botte for a year, the Ronco del Gelso 2018 Isonzo del Friuli Rive Alte Chardonnay Siet Vignis opens to orchard fruit, apple, quince and toasted almond. This is a lean to medium-bodied white with enough textual richness and dimension to pair with a spicy chicken curry. Fruit is sourced from the 2.5-hectare site with gravel alluvial soils. Some 18,000 bottles were made.

91 Pts.

2017 Friuli Isonzo Rive Alte Pinot Grigio Sot Lis Rivis

This pretty wine has the pedigree to stand up to a Moroccan chicken tajine with preserved lemon. The oak-aged Ronco del Gelso 2017 Friuli Isonzo Rive Alte Pinot Grigio Sot Lis Rivis opens to an off-gold color with mature aromas of peach, nectarine, toasted almond and crushed almond. The hot vintage contributes to the richness and creaminess of the wine, and the style adopted here aims to show a denser, more age-worthy side of Pinot Grigio. Fruit is sourced from a 5.5-hectare site with rocky gravel soils. About 30,000 bottles were made.

90 Pts.

2017 Friuli Isonzo Rive Alte Friulano Toc Bas

A good choice for a simple fried fish, the Ronco del Gelso 2017 Isonzo del Friuli Rive Alte Friulano Toc Bas opens to a crystalline and transparent appearance and a snappy, lean texture. The bouquet is bright and one-dimensional with minty apple, honeydew melon, wild sage and crushed mineral. Despite the warm conditions of the growing season, this vintage feels thinner compared to recent past editions. Some 25,000 bottles were made.

90 Pts.

2016 Friuli Isonzo Rive Alte Merlot Sintesi dei Capitoli

If ever there were a wine made specifically for a lamb roast, this is it. The Ronco del Gelso 2016 Isonzo del Friuli Rive Alte Merlot Sintesi dei Capitoli opens to herbal and minty notes that give lift and buoyancy to the bouquet. The aromas start off with dark fruit, dried cherry, leather, earth and campfire ash. They end with some of those garden herb and rosemary notes that I describe above. Aged in oak for three years, this wine reveals a mid-weight palate and some tannic dryness. This release of 10,000 bottles is in a good place along its aging trajectory right now, so get that rotisserie ready.

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