Lots of sliced green apple, lime and hints of crushed stone and some celery on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with intense flavor and solid center-palate. A classic style of sauvignon. Drink now.
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In the commune of Capriva del Friuli, in the heart of the Collio Goriziano wine area on the border of Slovenia, is the estate of Russiz Superiore. Russiz as a place-name is traced back at least as far as 1273, when a certain Raimondo della Torre became the patriarch of Aquileia (basically, prince-bishop of Friuli). He named his estate Russiz Superiore due to its high (superior) location above the hamlet of Russiz. The estate passed through innumerable hands over the next several centuries, but was apparently known for most of that time as a source of fine winegrapes. In 1967, the property became available for sale. Marco Felluga—owner of a self-named winery in the nearby town of Gradisca d’Isonzo—recognized the superb potential of the vineyard land and bought it. He knew the estate, already famed for its Cabernet Franc, could become the jewel of the family holdings. So, rather than folding Russiz Superiore into the family’s existing vineyards, he decided to maintain it as a separate working estate, vinified and bottled as a distinct brand.
Marco Felluga represented the fourth generation of a wine merchant family that had begun plying its trade in Istria (part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) in the late 1800s. His grandfather had begun selling wine in Friuli after World War I, and the family ended up relocating permanently to Italian Friuli after World War II and the loss of Istria to the Soviet Bloc under Yugoslavia. Marco Felluga had founded his winery in Gradisca d’Isonzo in 1956 and was ready to expand with the purchase of Russiz Superiore a decade later.
Roberto Felluga, son of Marco and the fifth generation, took over the family wine business in 2000 and continued to elevate the quality of the Russiz Superiore wines through a more sustainable approach to viticulture and winemaking. His work in both estates was seen as beneficial by his peers across the region and Italy as a whole. Unfortunately Roberto passed away in the Fall of 2021, leaving his family's legacy and future to his daughter, Ilaria Felluga, the sixth generation of the family to oversee the wineries. Ilaria started working alongside her father in 2017, and today she is leading with a focus on sustainability and creating the highest quality wines possible, while gaining a reputation for her dynamic personality and devout knowledge of Friuli and her family's legacy in helping to establish it as a premier winemaking region.
Russiz Superiore wines use only estate-grown fruit—with several native and international grape varieties, mainly white but also red. To further distinguish the Russiz Superiore wines, the white wines generally have about 15–20% of the juice fermented in new oak barrels. Like wines from Marco Felluga line, they are designed to improve with age for several years. The well-respected Cabernet Franc vines also produce an excellent red wine for the portfolio.
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LOCATIONWINERY: Capriva del Friuli (Gorizia province), Friuli–Venezia Giulia VINEYARD: Capriva del Friuli (Gorizia province), Friuli–Venezia Giulia VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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93
JUNE 2022
Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Collio DOC 2021
![]() Lots of sliced green apple, lime and hints of crushed stone and some celery on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with intense flavor and solid center-palate. A classic style of sauvignon. Drink now. 91
APRIL 2023
Russiz Superiore Pinot Grigio Collio DOC 2021
![]() Sleek and zesty, this lithe white offers crunchy apple and white peach fruit, stone and chamomile accented by hints of pink grapefruit peel and grated ginger. Drink now through 2028. 90
NOVEMBER 2020
Russiz Superiore Cabernet Franc Collio DOC 2017
![]() The 2017 Russiz Superiore Cabernet Franc, also from the Collio DOC. This wine took a day before I could truly appreciate it: fresh red-fruits aromas and lively cranberry-herbal-mineral flavors in a dry, medium-bodied red with grainy tannins, supple texture and good concentration. It is enjoyable now, but I’d give it two years to show at its best, considering how much my appreciation for the wine evolved overnight. 92
NOVEMBER 2022
Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Collio DOC Riserva 2016
![]() TOP 50 WINES OF 2022 #3 Psst, here’s a secret. Friuli has some of the most expressive Sauvignon Blanc on the planet. The northeastern Italian DOC of Collio Goriziano in Friuli-Venezia Giulia has historically been known for Pinot Grigios and Friulanos (also known as Sauvignon Vert), but it has more recently received overdue recognition for its stellar Sauvignon Blanc wines. One sip of Russiz Superiore’s Sauvignon Collio, and you’ll understand why. Its earthy, slightly savory palate offers a nice alternative to the New Zealand-style, pyrazine-forward Savvy B Americans are familiar with, offering highly concentrated notes of bright tomato and aromatic basil. With a mineral-rich texture, it’s the perfect match for a caprese salad with lots of flaky sea salt. The palate is a study in balance with excellent acidity and just the right grip. 92
NOVEMBER 2022
Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Collio DOC Riserva 2016
![]() BEST 50 WINES 2022 Psst, here’s a secret. Friuli has some of the most expressive Sauvignon Blanc on the planet. There was a point in this region’s history where “international” varieties were more prominent than their native grapes. And while they did the work to bring those back, Friulian winemakers took varieties like Sauvignon Blanc (Merlot, Cabernet Franc) and coaxed a new kind of balance out of them. Some of the best of this grape comes from here, like this beautiful example from Russiz (Roo-seez). Bright and mineral-driven with minimal fruit, this wine is about texture. The palate is a study in balance with excellent acidity and just the right grip. It is very Friulian, and you may have a hard time sharing. 91
APRIL 2023
Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Collio DOC 2021
![]() A burst of zesty green citrus, sour melon and wild herbal tones introduce the 2021 Sauvignon. It opens with a pleasant inner sweetness complicated by salty minerality and a core of brilliant acidity that maintains fantastic energy throughout. This finishes tense, nearly crunchy in feel, with candied lime and rosemary nuances that create a sweet and sour sensation. I love the 2021s contrasting nature. Nicely done. 92
APRIL 2023
Russiz Superiore Cabernet Franc Collio DOC 2019
![]() The 2019 Cabernet Franc Collio entices with a uniquely spicy bouquet that evokes Indian curries, incense and pipe tobacco before revealing a core of crushed raspberry. This is like pure silk on the palate, yet with a stimulating thrust of acidity that motivates it tart wild berry fruits. Pepper-tinged inner florals and saline minerality are left to mingle through the finale, as the 2019 finishes lightly structured and distinctly savory. This is Patience will be necessary. 95
MAY 2020
Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Collio DOC Riserva 2016
![]() WINE ENTHUSIAST TOP 100 2020 - #40 A benchmark for Italian whites, this wine opens with inviting aromas of honeydew melon, exotic fruit, aromatic herb and a whiff of baking spice. On the delicious, polished palate, fresh acidity accompanies ripe apricot, white peach, gooseberry, cantaloupe and pastry cream before a lingering lemon-drop finale. |