A silky white framed by succulent acidity and a chalky base note, this features flavors of yellow apple and pear, preserved lemon and fresh thyme, with hints of white pepper and white blossoms on the lasting finish. Drink now through 2028.
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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 "Maralba" Ribolla Gialla Collio DOC 2021
![]() A silky white framed by succulent acidity and a chalky base note, this features flavors of yellow apple and pear, preserved lemon and fresh thyme, with hints of white pepper and white blossoms on the lasting finish. Drink now through 2028. 90
APRIL 2023
Marco Felluga “Mongris” Pinot Grigio Collio DOC 2021
![]() The 2021 Pinot Grigio Mongris is stunning, with a whiff of sweet smoke and stone dust that gives way to peach skins and mint. This is round, supple and lively throughout, with ripe orchard fruits complemented by candied lime. It leaves vanilla bean and almond paste nuances while leaving the palate completely refreshed. 90
AUGUST 2023
Marco Felluga "Maralba" Ribolla Gialla Collio DOC 2022
![]() This is spiced and a little zesty with ripe apples and pears as well as white almonds and crushed herbs on the nose. Medium-bodied, crisp and tangy with juicy citrus and orchid fruit and a flavorful, sleek finish. Drink now. 91
SEPTEMBER 2023
Marco Felluga “Varneri” Merlot Collio DOC 2021
![]() A rich and toasty merlot offering dark berries, cocoa powder, sweet spices and tarry undertones. Full-bodied. Firm and structured but with succulence to the fruit and a supple, more fluid mid-palate. Juicy and rich finish. Drink now. 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. 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 “Mongris” Pinot Grigio Collio DOC Riserva 2017
![]() Dried apples, mango pudding, white pepper, vanilla and cedar on the nose. It’s full-bodied, creamy and concentrated. Rich, round and buttery expression of pinot grigio. 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. |