Underlining the elegant and delicate side of a variety that often produces heavier aromas of candied fruit and lemon drop, the Tunella 2019 Friuli Colli Orientali Ribolla Gialla Rjgialla is a lovely expression of the grape. Made only in stainless steel, this wine is clean and pure in terms of bouquet, with a little more power and emphasis on mouthfeel, making it a nice choice for grilled scampi. There is an evident note of sweet peach on the finish. Some 60,000 bottles were made.

La Tunella offers a more subdued expression of this native grape. The 2017 Friuli Colli Orientali Ribolla Gialla Rjgialla opens to bright citrus tones followed by tangerine skin, honey and dried apple. The bouquet boasts good aromatic intensity, but fundamentally, this wine is an exercise in balanced restraint. The mouthfeel is crisp and clean with lingering mineral tones. Production is 50,000 bottles strong.

La Tunella sent me a few samples of older vintages. The 2012 Friuli Colli Orientali Ribolla Gialla Rjgialla is beautifully intact in terms of appearance and bouquet. The wine opens to a clean, luminous appearance. The nose is endowed with slightly evolved notes of passion fruit, preserved lemon and something that reminds me of those soft peanuts you get with Thai dishes. Because this wine is seven years old, you get evolved notes of crushed stone and smoke on the elegant finish.