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.
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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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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
JANUARY 2021
Russiz Superiore Cabernet Franc Collio DOC 2017
![]() Masses of purple-tinged peppery florals, crushed plums and smoky minerals lift up from the 2017 Cabernet Franc. It’s lean and focused in the mouth, coming across as salty and savory with tart wild berries that saturate all that they touch. That said, the 2017 maintains wonderful energy, even through its structured and almost-chewy finish. While this shows a bit of the warm vintage with its intense fruit and gruff tannin, it should still flesh out nicely and drink beautifully over the medium term. 92
JUNE 2022
Russiz Superiore Pinot Bianco Collio DOC 2021
![]() Sliced pears, blanched almonds and peach pits on the nose. Some bitter lemon pith and flowers, too. Medium-to full-bodied with a clean, crisp palate. Mineral and stony with hints of praline at the end. Drink now. 92
FEBRUARY 2021
Russiz Superiore Pinot Bianco Collio DOC 2018
![]() The Russiz Superiore 2018 Collio Pinot Bianco is a beautifully polished and fine expression. It highlights the smallest details of the grape, but it also achieves a far-reaching big-picture approach. You sense the pretty fruitiness and fleshiness of the wine, and you can clearly identify its aromas of quince, poached pear and Golden Delicious apple. This release of about 12,000 bottles ends with pretty tones of honey and toasted pine nut. This is a lovely rendition of Pinot Bianco (offered at a great low price) to be consumed with whichever fresh fish you can readily buy at the market. 93
AUGUST 2021
Russiz Superiore “Col Disôre” Collio DOC Bianco 2017
![]() Ripe apricots, baked apples, lemon curd, vanilla cream and hazelnuts on the nose. It’s full-bodied with bright acidity and creamy, buttery layers. Salted butter and praline to close. A blend of pinot bianco, friulano, sauvignon blanc and ribolla gialla. Drink now. 91
JANUARY 2021
Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Collio DOC 2019
![]() Spicy, perfumed and loaded with character, the 2019 Sauvignon lifts up with a mix of crushed green apples, geraniums and savory spice. The textures are silky and refined, with a pure display of ripe orchard fruits and zesty citrus that contrasts between sweet and sour. Pretty inner florals, notes of chamomile, kiwi and peach resonate throughout the wonderful long finale. 91
APRIL 2022
Russiz Superiore Cabernet Franc Collio DOC 2018
![]() The 2018 Cabernet Franc makes a grand entrance, enticing the senses with a bouquet of crushed raspberries, cracked black pepper, wild herbs and a hint of cocoa. It impresses further with its energetic feel, coupling cool-toned acids with saline-tinged red berries and a zesty twang of citrus. Waxy rose, licorice and sweet spice linger impossibly long through the perfumed and seemingly endless finale. The 2018 is a balanced pleasure bomb of a Cabernet Franc, which should be enjoyed over the next three to five years. 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. |