Ribolla, “R”, Venezia Giulia Bianco

In certain vintages that merit it, Gravner produces their version of a Ribolla Riserva (labeled “R” plus the last two digits of the year): a selection of the best fruit at harvest, aged six full years in Slavonian oak and seven years in bottle (magnums only) before release. Ribolla, particularly when raised in such a structure-prizing manner as Gravner’s, can display remarkable longevity, and the Riserva arrives on the market having already undergone significant positive evolution. Here, the salty-savory interplay shows more blatant umami notes, and wine’s the lurking mineral core emerges more forcefully now that the primary fruit elements have subsided a bit.