Worth the wait - Gravner's Ribolla Riserva 2003

Almost every week, Simon selects an orange wine (a white wine made with extended skin contact) that grabbed his attention. View the whole series here.  

The idea of releasing wines when they're mature is no longer in fashion. Late release is still enshrined into a few scant traditionalist appellations - the upper levels of Bordeaux and Rioja, for example. But in many other areas - and especially in the natural wines arena -  wines in all weights and hues tend to be rushed onto the market inside of a year.

Why is this? Well, economics plays a major part. Smaller wineries, especially those without a long track record, live or die on their cashflow - they can't afford to sit on stock for several years before putting it up for sale. Fashion is, I suspect, also partly to blame. There's a huge audience for young, fruity, fresh wines - and a declining one for aged styles. Modern winemaking know-how allows wines to be broachable at a younger age, with much better understanding of tannin managem…