Mission Codename Ribol-la-la-la
“Grassi is one of my favorite under the radar producers in Napa Valley… Best of all, the wines remain very fairly priced considering the quality of what is in the glass.” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Wines like this make the hunt worth it. MANY such “under the radar” producers exist in Napa, albeit FEW worth putting on a pedestal…
This would be a winery to place on a pedestal as high as Snoop Dogg! With Maayan Koschitzky as consulting winemaker with a true family run winery, there is nothing more real than this wine.
Yes, THAT, Maayan Koschitzky. As if there could be another! With a pristine resume including Screaming Eagle, Dalle Valle and pretty much every cool Napa winery through Atelier Melka, Koschitzky is in an elite group of winemakers that the Grassi family was brilliant enough to bring on in 2017.
Mark Grassi has his hand on the construction site of many premier wineries in Napa - Ovid for one. He bought some land off Soda Canyon Road at the base of Atlas Peak in 1989 and started developing it with the help of Harlan Estate vineyard manager Mary Maher and Peter Franus.
What, you don’t know about Ribolla Gialla?!
Fair… it’s rare to see. From Northeastern Italy most often, the varietal makes bright, high acid white wines with notes of stone fruit and beeswax.
But this brings a California flair with it and has everything you want from a Napa white wine - maybe more. It’s bright and complex with a nose to die for. The aromatics alone fill the room with honeysuckle, lilac and tangerine. Totally dry with a round fruity body, it delivers a fruit basket of pear, honeydew, lychee and tropical fruit. Honey and beeswax find their way into the mix, too. Aged on lees, with a bit of new oak, it has a round style and soft texture to it. Just a warning - it might just become your new house favorite.
And you’ll love it even more at our world’s best price.
We wish there was more to go around. Sadly, this won’t last.
What the Winery Says
2018 'Valentina's Block' Napa Valley Ribolla Gialla
- Winemaker
- Maayan Koschitzky
- Varietals
- 100% Ribolla Gialla
- Vintage
- 2018
- Alcohol
- 12.5%
- Appellation
- Napa Valley
- Vineyard
- Grassi Estate Vineyard
- Total acidity
- 6.8 g/L
- pH
- 3.61
- Harvest dates
- Late September 2015
- Aging
- 10 months
- Barrels
- 20% new French oak