Matthiasson Napa Valley Ribolla Gialla 2016

Ribolla gialla originates in the Friuli region of Italy and across the border in Slovenia. It’s earliest known mention was in the Pope’s paperwork managing a dispute between the Bishop of Trieste and a monastery in Venezia in 1296. Ribolla Gialla makes an unparalleled food wine, filling the gap in food pairing between white wines and red wines—it can be amazing with pork, rich raw and cooked seafood, and intense cheeses. We chose to ferment this wine on its skins and stems in the ancient manner.

The wine was fermented whole cluster in a open-top tank. After two weeks the must was pressed, and the wine was aged for 18 months in neutral barrels. The wine aged sur lees, it was never racked. No SO2 was used until bottling.