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.
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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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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. 92
JUNE 2021
Marco Felluga “Ronco dei Moreri” Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso Venezia Giulia IGT 2018
This is a light and vivid red with crushed-berry and citrus character. It’s medium-to light-bodied with fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Delicate and delicious. Drink now. 93
AUGUST 2019
Marco Felluga “Molamatta” Collio Bianco DOC 2015
There’s a pretty dried-clove and vanilla lift to this, which is subtly played, and lemon and apple-curd aromas lurking in the background. Taut, mineral and precise, it nevertheless manages to deliver a good deal of concentration and hearty stone fruit. Drink now. 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. 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 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. 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. 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 |