2106 Gravner Ribolla

About the Wine:

Nestled in the Hum region, where autumn's gentle breath caresses ancient vineyards, this extraordinary wine tells a story over a thousand years in the making. Harvested on the crisp morning of October 28th, these Ribolla grapes carry the magic of noble rot—a delicate blessing from a mild season that concentrates their most profound flavors.

Crafted using a winemaking method that defies modern convention, Josko Gravner embraces an ancestral Georgian technique. Fermenting in underground amphorae, they underwent a long maceration with wild yeasts and no temperature control. This is winemaking at its most elemental—a conversation between earth, grape, and time.

After meticulous drawing off and pressing, the wine returns to its clay amphora sanctuary for a minimum of five months, before embarking on a six-year journey in large oak barrels. Unfiltered and unfined, each bottle is a pure, uninterrupted expression of terroir—a liquid testament to a thousand-year-old viticultural tradition. 

More than a wine, this is a liquid artifact—uncompromising, wild, and deeply rooted in the landscape of its origin.

About Josko Gravner:

Josko Gravner’s 18 hectares of vineyards (with another 4 recently planted) are located in Oslavje, in the Collio hills on the border of Italy and Slovenia. Over the course of his 64 years, Josko has constantly evolved his approach to winemaking - in both his method and philosophical approach - in the search of perfection. 

In the 1980’s Josko created the wines that catapulted Friuli to international commercial success, with his clear, floral pinot grigio and aromatic white wines. He then contributed to the recognition of the Collio zone producing wines of intensity and complexity through careful aging in the finest Slavonian oak. 

However, Josko saw that the drive to produce clear, aromatic white wines was leading to increased chemical intervention at the expense of terroir. What started from an epiphany in 1987 during a US research trip soon led him to become engrossed in the ancient winemaking of the Caucasus, culminating with the purchase of his first amphora from Georgia in the late 1990’s, after many failed attempts.

Philosophy

Since producing his first vintage fermented exclusively in clay amphorae in 2001, Josko now has 45 beeswax-lined amphorae in his cellar ranging from 1,500-2,500 litres in size, in which he ferments all his wines. The amphorae are buried neck deep beneath the soil, allowing the fermenting grape juice to have the closest possible contact with the soil from which it came. 

Though he refuses categorisation as biodynamic, Gravner follows Rudolf Steiner’s principles in both the vineyard and the cellar, adjusted to his own methods. Vineyards are managed without fertilisers or chemicals. Fruit is hand harvested by the moon after late ripening and undergoes a 7 year cycle of fermentation and aging: 1 year in amphora and 6 in oak,  reflecting the regeneration pattern of cells in our bodies. Bottling is done in accordance with the lunar cycle, a step Josko regards as imperative for wines which are unfiltered. In the entire process the only addition is a small amount of sulphur used in the amphorae (around 0.5 g/hectoliter). The wines are released when Josko believes they are ready to drink.

Reviews:

Deep orange with amber-coloured reflections. Seductive, initially slightly reductive, oxidative, sweet bouquet of dried orange, peach and sweet spices. On the palate, it has an impressively silky texture with lush fruit, honey notes, hints of baked apple and vanilla. It is firm, stable and could be mistaken for a red wine when tasted blind. Be sure to temper it to 14-16°C, decant and keep a little for the next day! LUCA GIARDINI, superiore.com

2015 Vintage "Gorgeous aromas of persimmons and spices as nutmeg, cinnamon, orange peel, and hints of caramel. Honey and apricot. Full-bodied, dry and layered with dried fruits such as apricots and pears. Botrytis spice. Fine silky phenolic texture and a flavorful finish. Layered and fascinating. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees centigrade. Drink or hold." - 96 points, James Suckling

Region: Oslavia, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia

Country: Italy

Vintage: 2016

Size: 750ml

ABV: 14% 

Varietal: Ribolla Gialla