Honeysuckle, cooked apples, grilled pears, butter, praline and roasted hazelnuts on the nose. It’s full-bodied, rich and buttery. Plenty of spice and butterscotch. Opulent and toasty finish. Drink now.
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One of the most interesting hotbeds of white-wine production in Italy is Collio Goriziano, a stretch of the hilly border of Friuli with Slovenia. Good growing conditions for white grape varieties, a penchant for experimentation, and talented winemakers combine to put this out-of-the-way area on the wine map. Two of the top producers in Collio are Marco Felluga and Russiz Superiore, both of which are now under the leadership of sixth-generation Ilaria Felluga, who is following in the footsteps of her father, Roberto Felluga, and her grandfather, Marco Felluga. Both Roberto and Marco are icons for the region and were responsible for holding Collio to extremely high standards of production and viticulture.
The Felluga family traces its wine industry lineage to the late 1800s, when Ilaria Felluga’s great-great-great-grandfather Michele started a business buying and selling wines in Istria (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). Michele’s son Marco added winemaking to the business, growing grapes and making some wine on the family farm just south of Trieste in what is now southwestern Slovenia. After World War I, Marco’s son Giovanni continued the family wine trade, selling Istrian wine in Trieste and in Grado in southern Friuli. He also opened a cellar in Gradisca d’Isonzo in Collio in 1938, but World War II soon broke out, disrupting life for a decade.
After the war, Istria became part of Soviet-dominated Yugoslavia, the family lost their farm there, and Collio became their home. Two of Giovanni’s seven children ultimately established wineries in the vicinity. Marco Felluga, after graduating from the renowned enology school in Conegliano, worked for his elder brother Livio for a while, before Livio left to open his own winery in Rosazzo. Marco stayed in the walled 15th-century fortress town of Gradisca d’Isonzo and founded his eponymous winery in 1956.
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LOCATIONWINERY: Gradisca d’Isonzo (Gorizia province), Friuli–Venezia Giulia VINEYARD: Collio area (Gorizia province), Friuli–Venezia Giulia VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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93
AUGUST 2021
Marco Felluga “Molamatta” Collio Bianco DOC 2017
![]() Honeysuckle, cooked apples, grilled pears, butter, praline and roasted hazelnuts on the nose. It’s full-bodied, rich and buttery. Plenty of spice and butterscotch. Opulent and toasty finish. Drink now. 90
APRIL 2022
Marco Felluga “Mongris” Pinot Grigio Collio DOC 2020
![]() The sweetly scented 2020 Pinot Grigio Mongris soothes with it’s bouquet of white flowers, ripe pear and hints of vanilla bean. It’s round and enveloping with a stimulating core of zesty green citrus and brisk acids that create wonderful contrasts. This leaves the palate buzzing with residual tension, while tapering off long, spicy and perfumed. 91
AUGUST 2023
Marco Felluga "Amani" Friulano Collio DOC 2022
![]() This is fresh and savory with green apples, lemon peel, crushed herbs and jasmine on the nose, following through to a medium body with a chalky mouthfeel and spicy, phenolic edge to its texture. Zesty finish. Drink now. 90
AUGUST 2023
Marco Felluga "Maralba" Ribolla Gialla Collio DOC 2022
![]() This is spiced and a little zesty with ripe apples and pears as well as white almonds and crushed herbs on the nose. Medium-bodied, crisp and tangy with juicy citrus and orchid fruit and a flavorful, sleek finish. Drink now. 93
FEBRUARY 2021
Marco Felluga “Molamatta” Collio Bianco DOC 2015
![]() More than five years into its evolution, this wine performs as if it were much younger than it really is. A blend of Pinot Bianco, Ribolla Gialla and Friulano, the Marco Felluga 2015 Collio Molamatta strikes a terrific balance between fruity freshness and creamy texture. The bouquet reveals white peach, poached pear, quince and toasted almond. It would make a great companion to some steamed mussels in a creamy garlic sauce. 90
APRIL 2023
Marco Felluga “Mongris” Pinot Grigio Collio DOC Riserva 2017
![]() A toasty, medium-bodied white, with vanilla and oak spice notes lacing flavors of creamed apple, pastry, crystallized honey and orange blossom. Lightly mouthwatering and well-knit, with a clean, salty tang on the finish. Drink now through 2026. 90
APRIL 2023
Marco Felluga "Maralba" Ribolla Gialla Collio DOC 2021
![]() A silky white framed by succulent acidity and a chalky base note, this features flavors of yellow apple and pear, preserved lemon and fresh thyme, with hints of white pepper and white blossoms on the lasting finish. Drink now through 2028. 92
FEBRUARY 2021
Marco Felluga “Mongris” Pinot Grigio Collio DOC Riserva 2016
![]() The Marco Felluga 2016 Collio Pinot Grigio Riserva Mongris is an elegantly contained and balanced white, with a long and silky finish that is pushed forward by preserved lemon, pine nut, poached pear, crushed stone and a delicate touch of mulling spice. You also get some spiciness on the close that is nicely integrated thanks to the wine's creamy texture and mid-weight approach. A Moroccan chicken dish would make a great partner. |