You don’t expect to find Ribolla Gialla in Napa — unless you're in the Matthiasson orbit. Steve and Jill planted it back in 2001, inspired by the great skin-contact wines of Friuli and Slovenia. Two decades later, it’s still one of the most quietly radical wines in California.
The 2021 shows why this grape matters: textural without being heavy, structured without being loud. Citrus oil, chamomile, beeswax, and almond skin. There's a savory core that unfolds slowly, like good conversation. Fermented on skins for a week, aged in neutral barrels, and bottled with no flash or flourish.
This is not a wine that screams. It hums.
Region: Napa Valley, California
Grape: Ribolla Gialla
Farming: Certified organic
Aging: Skin-fermented for one week, aged in neutral oak
Style: Quietly complex, textural, and mineral-driven
You don’t expect to find Ribolla Gialla in Napa — unless you're in the Matthiasson orbit. Steve and Jill planted it back in 2001, inspired by the great skin-contact wines of Friuli and Slovenia. Two decades later, it’s still one of the most quietly radical wines in California.
The 2021 shows why this grape matters: textural without being heavy, structured without being loud. Citrus oil, chamomile, beeswax, and almond skin. There's a savory core that unfolds slowly, like good conversation. Fermented on skins for a week, aged in neutral barrels, and bottled with no flash or flourish.
This is not a wine that screams. It hums.
Region: Napa Valley, California
Grape: Ribolla Gialla
Farming: Certified organic
Aging: Skin-fermented for one week, aged in neutral oak
Style: Quietly complex, textural, and mineral-driven
