Fresh acacia flowers and stones to the lemon zest and kiwis on the nose. This is zingy, bone-dry and salty on the palate, showing plenty of gastronomic allure to the limey finish. 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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91
AUGUST 2023
Russiz Superiore Friulano Collio DOC 2022
![]() Fresh acacia flowers and stones to the lemon zest and kiwis on the nose. This is zingy, bone-dry and salty on the palate, showing plenty of gastronomic allure to the limey finish. Drink now. 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. 93
APRIL 2023
Russiz Superiore Sauvignon Collio DOC Riserva 2019
![]() Deeply floral and rich in the glass, the 2019 Sauvignon Riserva opens up with a spicy bouquet of sour melon and sweet exotic flowers offset by a whiff of lemon zest. This is pure class, refined, savory and mineral in style, nearly salty, with a twang of citrus-tinged acidity and tart orchard fruits that adds a lovely tension. The 2019 finishes staining and long, with a lingering concentration that puckers the cheeks, yet also promises many years of positive development. This is full of potential. 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 Sauvignon Collio DOC 2021
![]() The 2021 Collio Sauvignon from Russiz Superiore shows the dimension the region can produce in the variety. The wine has a great balance of fruit, herbs, and minerals — less racy and “grassy” than Sauvignon from New Zealand and more like some of those from France’s Loire Valley. Flavors of green apple, apricot, and lemon-lime are accented by touches of flinty minerality and herbs like sage and thyme. There’s a bit of creamy softness on the long finish, a reflection of aging on the leesand a small percentage of the grapes fermented in oak barrels. Aging takes place in stainless steel tanks. It is more expensive than many of the countless Sauvignons you’ll find from just about every corner of the wine world. But the price is offset by the fact that this is a singular Sauvignon Blanc that’s among the world’s best. 92
APRIL 2023
Russiz Superiore “Col Disôre” Collio DOC Bianco 2017
![]() A graceful white, with lavish spices, vanilla and graphite serving as a fragrant entry point, layered with a supple frame of bright acidity and flavors of glazed pear, salted butter and roasted hazelnut. Drink now through 2027. 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. 90
AUGUST 2020
Russiz Superiore Pinot Grigio Collio DOC 2018
![]() Hints of smoke and stone waft through this lightly creamy white, accenting Gala apple, citrus and blanched almond notes. Light- to medium-bodied and tangy, with a zesty finish that echoes the minerality. Drink now through 2023. 5,833 cases made, 150 cases imported. |