A fresh, well-balanced white, showing a delicate mesh of crunchy white peach, green pear, chervil and pink grapefruit peel, with a base note of chalky minerality. 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 Fruili 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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90
DECEMBER 2023
Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Collio DOC 2021
A fresh, well-balanced white, showing a delicate mesh of crunchy white peach, green pear, chervil and pink grapefruit peel, with a base note of chalky minerality. Drink now. 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
JANUARY 2021
Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Collio DOC Riserva 2016
TOP 100 OF THE YEAR 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. EDITOR'S CHOICE 91
OCTOBER 2020
Russiz Superiore Pinot Bianco Collio DOC 2018
An elegant white, finely knit and fresh, with a spine of sleek acidity and a spicy mineral underpinning, this is light- to medium-bodied, offering flavors of Fuji apple, spring blossom and star fruit. Hints of pastry cream and smoke play on the supple finish. Drink now through 2025. 2,000 cases made, 30 cases imported. NOVEMBER 2022
Russiz Superiore “Col Disôre” Collio DOC Bianco 2018
96
MAY 2023
Russiz Superiore “Col Disôre” Collio DOC Bianco 2018
Pi not Bianco, Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc and Ribolla Gialla blend from the ponca or flysch marl soil of Collio, which brings to the wine a marvellous vibrancy and minerality that matches well with the wine's concentration. Subtle toasty aromas with rose and peach skin, a marine influence and bright fern scents. Soft, smooth, dense and rich, supported by elegant lifted acidity. The finish is still oaky, but your patience will be rewarded. Drink 2024-2040 Ale 13.5% 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. 90
AUGUST 2020
Russiz Superiore “Col Disôre” Collio DOC Bianco 2016
A light- to medium-bodied white, round and creamy, with ripe acidity framing the apple tarte Tatin, ginger-infused pastry cream and lime blossom notes. Offers a pretty, aromatic finish. Pinot Bianco. Drink now through 2023. 1,333 cases made, 25 cases imported. |