Separating Friuli quality viticulture from the thought and work of Livio Felluga is a rather complicated theoretical exercise. Felluga, in fact, was a pioneer who 70 years ago took over the reins of the family business, which had been producing for five generations Refosco and Malvasia in Istria Island, piercing it into the Friulian hinterland. Here he founded the winery of Brazzano (halfway between Udine and Gorizia) and bought the first plots in a sub-zone of which he understood the particular vocation to viticulture: Rosazzo.
Felluga read it right: those lands in fact gave rise, in 2011, to the D.O.C.G. (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin), attributed to white wines containing at least 50% of Friulano and the balance of Sauvignon, Pinot Blanc and/or Chardonnay. Needless to say, this accreditation is almost entirely attributable to Livio who, with his Terre Alte, a blend of Friulano-Pinot Blanc-Sauvignon born in 1981, became the ambassador of those lands, making known the great potential in Italy and, subsequently, in the world.
The vines from which this wine originates, which grow on a soil composed of marl and sandstone of Eocene origin, are planted according Guyot technique and preserved through a low impact vineyards work. Once harvested, the grapes are gently destemmed and left to macerate and pressed; then the must obtained follows two different paths: Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon ferment and age in steel, Friulano in Barrique. After 10 months, the cleared masses are assembled, then they refine in bottle for another 9 giving finallty rise to this wine.
This 2018 vintage, with a bright and intense straw yellow color, and greenish reflections, initially smells of overripe exotic fruit, white melon, peach in syrup and citrus hints, followed by strawberry tree honey, custard cream, caramel and slight woody notes, with conclusive chalky and mineral echoes. The mouthfeel, very elegant, is characterized by opulence, amplitude, roundness and velvet, without ever going out of breath thanks to a good acid/savory vein and the mineral side that rebalance and drive it up to a very long glyceric and almond finish.
Rating: 94/100
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