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.
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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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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
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
JANUARY 2021
Marco Felluga “Mongris” Pinot Grigio Collio DOC 2019
The 2019 Pinot Grigio Mongris is a spicy, savory expression of the grape, fresh and more floral than fruity. It’s silky textures usher in citrus-tinged orchard fruits and salty minerals, creating an energetic and tactile display. Hints of lime and residual acids sizzle through the finale, making it hard to resist another sip. 93
FEBRUARY 2021
Marco Felluga “Molamatta” Collio Bianco DOC 2015
More than five years into its evolution, this wine performs as if it were much younger than it really is. A blend of Pinot Bianco, Ribolla Gialla and Friulano, the Marco Felluga 2015 Collio Molamatta strikes a terrific balance between fruity freshness and creamy texture. The bouquet reveals white peach, poached pear, quince and toasted almond. It would make a great companion to some steamed mussels in a creamy garlic sauce. 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. 96
DECEMBER 2022
Marco Felluga "Amani" Friulano Collio DOC 2021
Decanter’s Wines of the Year 2022. Leesy and rubbery, this has intense marzipan and earthy notes like dry white mushrooms. Fresh and creamy in the mouth, it's distinctively gentle, with a long, very pure and fruity finish. Elegant and delicious. 91
JANUARY 2021
Marco Felluga "Amani" Friulano Collio DOC 2019
The 2019 Friulano Amani lifts up with an exotic display of tropical citrus and hints of spice, then slowly settles and evolves to show ripe apple with pretty white flowers. It’s wonderfully poised and balanced, showing an attractive inner sweetness to its orchard fruits, contrasted by salty minerals adding a tactile feel. Hints of vanilla bean, peaches and mint linger, provided a fully satisfying finale. 93
APRIL 2023
Marco Felluga “Molamatta” Collio Bianco DOC 2017
The 2017 Bianco Molamatta is seductive, with a rich mix of baked apples and pears accentuated by white flowers and almond custard. This is elegant, verging on opulent, but not quite, with oily textures hosting a mix of ripe tropical fruits. It finishes with admirable length and is spicy, leaving dried apricot and hazelnut notes to linger. The Molamatta is a blend of 40% Friulano, 40% Pinot Bianco and 20% Ribolla Gialla with extended lees aging that lasts up to a year. |