Livio Felluga Illivio Bianco D.O.C. Friuli Colli Orientali 2021
(Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy) - [JS 95] [VM 94+] [WS 91]

About the Winery:
The winery was founded in 1956, after Livio Felluga relocated from his native Istria, but the family's winemaking traditions date back to the mid-19th century. Founder and patriarch Livio Felluga is accredited with innovating and mastering modern wine making in Italy. While Felluga passed away in 2016 at the age of 102, his reputation for creating exceptionally lush, crisp and well-balanced wines extends well beyond the region of Friuli. His wines are recognized the world over as the finest in their categories. Today, the family-owned winery is led by Livio's son, Andrea Felluga.

The 500-acre Livio Felluga Estate includes 370 acres of rolling hillside vineyards in the Collio and Colli Orientali del Friuli. Friuli's temperate climate, protected by the Alps to the north and moderated by the Adriatic Sea to the south is a winemaker's dream. The sparse soil of marl and calcareous deposits is ideal for the white varieties, and also for their complex red wines.

About the Wine:
Created in 1998 by Livio Felluga’s children, who dedicated the wine to him for his 85th birthday, illivio reflects the personality of the family’s “Patriarch”, uniting strength with elegance.

Mainly trained in the Guyot system, the vines benefit from marl and sandstone soils of Eocene origin. The 2021 harvest took place in the first half of September. The healthy and perfectly ripe grapes are harvested by hand, in small crates, to preserve the integrity of the berry. Carefully destemmed and left to macerate for a short period, the fruit is then soft crushed and the must obtained is allowed to settle. The must ferments at controlled temperatures in small oak casks. After malolactic fermentation, the wine settles on the lees in the small oak casks for a few months to enhance savouriness, creaminess and aging potential. The bottled wine was aged in temperature-controlled binning cellars.

A blend of Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Picolit

13.5% ABV

Tasting Notes:

Color: Concentrated, bright straw-yellow.

Nose: Vibrant, complex, and deep, with marked apple and pear fruit and spring and summer flowers. Accent scents of freesia, calla lilies, yellow viburnum and frangipane blossom, blending with hints of Golden Delicious apples and dried papaya. Ageing in small oak endows it with delicate polished closing sensations of sweet spice, like nutmeg and vanilla pods, alongside acacia honey and pastry cream. Completing the bouquet is a pleasingly iodine sensation.

Palate: Rounded, creamy and intense with a very mouth-filling entry, following through with fragrant, balanced echoes of ripe fruit like apricots, mango and yellow peaches. A lingering finish seductively lengthened by light hints of candied kumquat chocolate.

Food pairings: A particularly good match for fish, risottos and fresh cheeses.

Ratings & Reviews:

95 Points - James Suckling:
"Tropical fruit aromas of mangoes and papayas with some fresh lilacs and white peaches. Medium- to full-bodied with dried apples and lemons as well as intense acidity. Tangy and crisp with a racy and energetic finish. Drink or hold." (May 2024)

94+ Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2021 Illivio, a blend of Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Piccolit, takes its time in the glass, sweetly alluring with a tinge of vanilla bean that embellishes fresh sliced peaches. Split pine and mint aromas add contrast. The 2021 soothes with its silky textures and supple character, bending around the contours of the palate as nectarine and bitter lemon rind notes collect under an air of pretty inner florals. Its minerality comes through the finish, classically dry and tense, as Asian pear and exotic spices slowly fade. While already showing beautifully today, the 2021 will show its best after a few years of cellaring." Drink 2025-2032. - Eric Guido (Apr 2023)

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast (2020):
Created for the acclaimed Livio Felluga on his 85th birthday, this blend of Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Picolit honors Livio's impact on the region of Friuli and the rest of Italy. Aromas of farmer's market ripe apricot and white nectarine combine with magnolia, honey and almonds in the glass. Full in body, the wine is balanced by ample acidity and shows the beauty and distinct minerality of the Collio Orientali. Drink now–2035. — Jeff Porter


92 Points - Gismondi on Wine:
Livio Felluga is one of the most respected producers of Friuli, dedicating his life to reviving high-quality and sustainable viticulture in the hills of this north-eastern, Adriatic-influenced Italian countryside. He emigrated from Istria and established his property in Brazzano in the 1950s, buying up old, neglected vineyards and rejuvenating them. Illuvio was created in 1998 by Livio Felluga’s children, who dedicated the wine to him for his 85th birthday. Unlike his signature varietal series, done in stainless, this blend of Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Picolit was fermented and aged in small oak casks on lees. Perfumed white peach, apricot, quince, fresh green herbs, and almond floods the creamy palate, cushioned by wood, but held taut with a brace of stony acidity which carries this through a lingering finish. Quite impressive. (Treve Ring).


91 Points - Wine Spectator:
"A graceful, layered white, fresh and salty on the palate, this offers finely meshed flavors of persimmon, Marcona almond and poached apricot, with delicate notes of lemon thyme and orange peel. Medium-bodied, this expands on the palate and lingers, revealing more salinity on the finish. Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Picolit. Drink now through 2031. 100 cases imported." - Alison Napjus (July 2024)