Livio Felluga "Illivio" Bianco D.O.C. Friuli Colli Orientali 2022
(Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy) - [JS 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:

94 Points - James Suckling:
"A complex and vibrant Collio. Apricots, Mirabelle plums, citrus and beeswax. Medium-bodied with tension and crisp acidity that are well integrated with vibrant peaches in the finish. Drink or hold." (Sep 2024)

91 Points - Wine Spectator:
"A pure note of ripe and juicy pear is enriched by a skein of salted butter, vanilla and creamed almond accents, while tangerine peel acidity provides lively lift and focus. Long and creamy on the palate, with minerally smoke. Hints of dried thyme and chamomile emerge to linger on the finish. Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Picolit. Drink now through 2032." - Alison Napjus (Feb 2025)