2022 Ruggabellus Sallio

Highly Rated
If you're looking to explore skin contact white wines, there is simply no better place to start than this singular offering from the masterful Abel Gibson.
5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
2 Reviews

Price:
Sale price$52.00
Stock:
Sold out
Rendering loop-subscriptions

Description

The 2022 Ruggabellus Sallio is a masterclass in a bottle for anyone keen to explore the fascinating world of skin contact white wines. Crafted by Abel Gibson, one of Australia’s most respected producers of amber wines, this blend of Riesling, Muscat, and Semillon strikes the perfect balance between complexity and pure drinkability.

The 2022 offering a beautifully judged blend of Riesling (52%), Muscat (40%), and Semillon (8%). These grapes hail from incredibly old vines, with some believed to date back to the 1850s—lending a rich heritage to this benchmark Barossan wine.

This vintage is particularly special, made up of three different years: 46% from 2019, 30% from 2021, and 24% from 2022, with a notably higher portion of Muscat. And you can taste it. The wine is bursting with aromatic intensity, delivering a beautiful balance between succulent fruit and savoury, nutty complexity. The few days of skin contact give it that signature texture without weighing it down, making it both refreshing and deeply interesting.

Expect layers of bright citrus, green apple, a hint of curry powder, and spicy ginger, all carried on a wave of crisp acidity. It’s complex but oh-so-drinkable, with a powdery, almost tactile mouthfeel that keeps you coming back for more. Mike Bennie awarded it a glowing 96 points, calling it "succulent, refreshing, spicy," and genuinely world-class in its style.

Sallio is the perfect companion for those looking to dive into the world of orange wines or just wanting a fresh, textural white that delivers on all fronts. Extremely limited - get in quick, this won't last long.

96 points
"So if you want to look at the most considered and best orange wines in the country, well, here you go... This is outstanding in its idiom. Succulent, refreshing. Spicy. Savoury. Nuts and ginger and curry powder and green apple. Refreshing and textural, indeed, powdery in its feel with juiciness and crispness too. Bright fruit, so much savouriness. It feels so well balanced in its elements yet doesn’t shy away from its skin contact largess and nutty, dusty elements too. Superb, with drinkability high, interest through the roof. Just so damn good. You’d put this up against the world greats of the oeuvre and not feel shy. I love drinking it."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

This year the Sallio is a blend of Riesling 52%, Muscat (field blend) 40% and Semillon 8%, all from beautifully old vines (the oldest believed to have been planted in the 1850’s). This Sallio comprises three vintages, 46% barrels from 2019, 30% from 2021 and 24% from 2022. The Muscat portion is higher this year and it shows.

In a similar fashion to Fluus, we choose wine making techniques that amplify aromatics and succulence. The Sallio continues to be “....a wonderful introduction to the textural style of white wine that we make”.

96 points - "So if you want to look at the most considered and best orange wines in the country, well, here you go. That being said, if you want to look at some of the most considered and excellent wines made from white grapes, well, I’ll stutter.

This is outstanding in its idiom. Succulent, refreshing. Spicy. Savoury. Nuts and ginger and curry powder and green apple. Refreshing and textural, indeed, powdery in its feel with juiciness and crispness too. Bright fruit, so much savouriness. It feels so well balanced in its elements yet doesn’t shy away from its skin contact largess and nutty, dusty elements too. Superb, with drinkability high, interest through the roof. Just so damn good. You’d put this up against the world greats of the oeuvre and not feel shy. I love drinking it." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews

5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Based on 2 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 2 Total 4 star reviews: 0 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
2 reviews
  • JF Profile picture for J F.google logo
    J F.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    4 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    2017 Ruggabellus Sallio
    Reviewing
    2017 Ruggabellus Sallio
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    An Exceptional Wine

    This is the second time I have had this wine, and it is truly exceptional. It's a standout among the Australian skin-contacts I've tried to date, elegant, balanced, but still wild and intriguing. Highly recommended.

  • BT Profile picture for Bryn T.
    Bryn T.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    4 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Cork Dork
    2017 Ruggabellus Sallio
    Reviewing
    2017 Ruggabellus Sallio
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Spectacular

    One of the best value wines I’ve tried this year. Complex, delicate, delicious. A true wine lovers wine. Such deliciousness and interest. And that nose!

Reviews LoadedReviews Added

Ruggabellus

Ruggabellus - meaning 'rugged beauty' - is one of the breakaway producers of the much written about 'New Barossa' movement.

A deep connection to the land of the Barossa Valley underpins Abel Gibson's winery. Raised amongst the vines of the Barossa, the cellars of Penfolds and Rockford, with the guidance of local wine legends such as Charlie Melton and his father Rob Gibson, Abel has carved a unique path for his brand.

Ruggabellus focuses on sensitive blends of old vine Syrah, Mataro, Grenache and Cinsault from great old vineyards with freshness and vitality always the key. Oak is never new. Additions are minimal.

The 'whites' are some of the country's finest examples of skin contact 'amber' wines. The variations on Riesling, Muscat and Semillon that are entirely world-class. These are rare and truly authentic Australian wines.

Abel & Emma Gibson Ruggabellus

Others also liked

Recently viewed

Shipping

Delivery is free on orders of $150 or more!

For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.

We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.

Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.

Sydney (Our Vans): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions our driver will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so if not, they will return the item to us and hold your order until further instruction from you. 

Melbourne (Anonymous Wine Freight): If no one is home and there are no special delivery instructions, the courier will try to call for instructions. If the driver believes there is a safe space to leave your wine they will do so. if not, they will return the item to their dispatch centre and hold until further instruction from you.

Australia Post: Australia Post will leave the parcel if they have been given authority to leave and it is deemed safe to do so. To give your Authority to Leave, please enter this in the 'SPECIAL REQUEST' box at checkout.

Ordering

We want Different Drop customers to always be getting the best price. If you see a lower price elsewhere, just get in touch and we will sort it out for you. We handle all our price-matching on a case by case basis.

Some things to keep in mind: 

  • Retrospective price-matching is available for 30 days after you have purchased from us.
  • The price match cannot be used in conjunction with a coupon or one-off deal we are offering. The idea is for you to get the best price in the market so if that is already achieved through a coupon then we won't price match on top of that.
  • We don't price match clearance or fire sales.
  • We’ll match the listed price as long as it is a legitimate offer and the competing store is actually able to fulfil the order (they have stock or more stock is en route). Essentially we won't price match cheeky vendors listing wines they have no hope of actually getting for you...
  • It must be a publicly listed price. We won't match a price that has been achieved through a coupon/cash-back arrangement, or through a non-advertised offer over the phone or otherwise.  
  • It is limited to a reasonable retail quantity.

We'll treat each price match request on its merit and reserve the right to refuse where we deem fit. For example, particularly rare wines, from non-trust-worthy vendors, in circumstances we deem illegitimate or if we feel our policy is being unfairly taken advantage of.

At the end of the day, we'll look after you and use common sense to ensure you're getting the best price, please just don't take the p%$$!

No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.

We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.

To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you. 

If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.

 

If you can't add more wine to your cart it means we are low on stock of that wine. For example, if you are only able to 3 bottles and no more that means we only have 3 bottles left of that wine. If it's a must have, please contact us and we may be able to order more in for you.

Call Us

Send a message