Aromas of sliced apples, peaches, stones, herbs and white pepper. It’s medium-bodied with fresh acidity and a concentrated, complex and spicy palate. Delicious 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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92
AUGUST 2021
Marco Felluga “Mongris” Pinot Grigio Collio DOC 2020
Aromas of sliced apples, peaches, stones, herbs and white pepper. It’s medium-bodied with fresh acidity and a concentrated, complex and spicy palate. Delicious finish. Drink now 90
NOVEMBER 2020
Marco Felluga “Mongris” Pinot Grigio Collio DOC 2019
If you are curious about the wines of the Marco Felluga winery, check out the 2019 "Mongris" Pinot Grigio (yes, Pinot Grigio) from Collio - and forget any stereotypes of Pinot Grigio as basically a crisp, straightforward, simple white wine. Here you’ll find notes of lemon, apple, pear and peach in a medium-bodied white with rich texture. 90
APRIL 2023
Marco Felluga "Maralba" Ribolla Gialla Collio DOC 2021
Crushed green apples, sage and a spritz of lime form a spicy green-tinged bouquet as the 2021 Ribolla Gialla Maralba opens in the glass. This soothes with its silky textures as a core of brisk acidity adds a reverberation of tension. The 2021 finishes with a tart twang of citrus and saline minerals while keeping the mouth watering for more. Drink the Maralba for its energy or cellar it over the short term to reveal further depths. 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. 91
JANUARY 2021
Marco Felluga "Amani" Friulano Collio DOC 2019
The 2019 Friulano Amani lifts up with an exotic display of tropical citrus and hints of spice, then slowly settles and evolves to show ripe apple with pretty white flowers. It’s wonderfully poised and balanced, showing an attractive inner sweetness to its orchard fruits, contrasted by salty minerals adding a tactile feel. Hints of vanilla bean, peaches and mint linger, provided a fully satisfying finale. 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. 96
DECEMBER 2022
Marco Felluga "Amani" Friulano Collio DOC 2021
Decanter’s Wines of the Year 2022. Leesy and rubbery, this has intense marzipan and earthy notes like dry white mushrooms. Fresh and creamy in the mouth, it's distinctively gentle, with a long, very pure and fruity finish. Elegant and delicious. 90
JANUARY 2021
Marco Felluga “Ronco dei Moreri” Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso Venezia Giulia IGT 2015
The 2015 Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso Ronco dei Moreri has a lot of upfront appeal, displaying a mix of wild berries, mint, sage and autumnal spices. Its textures are silky, giving way to polished black fruits, complicated by a complex web of minerals and fine-grained tannins. The 2015 could use another year or two to come into focus, and there’s enough structural heft and primary components here to carry this for many years in the cellar. |