Livio Felluga Terre Alte 2017
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Robert
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James
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Winemaker Notes
Bright yellow, bright and intense. Th nose has great elegance and complexity. The bouquet is rich, enveloping and harmonious. Refined white flowers, jasmine and acacia blend with fruity notes of white melon, yellow peach, apricot in syrup with tropical hints of passion fruit and pineapple. The citrus scents are completed by refined creamy sensations of pastry, caramelized almond, vanilla, creme brule. Balsamic finish of cedar wood, thyme and licorice. Continuous evolution. The palate is full, vigorous and velvety attack. Excellent harmony with the perfumes and great refinement. Pleasant acidic streak. Mineral, sapid and round. The richness of tropical fruit, dried fruit and creamy notes is enhanced in the mouth by spicy hints of white pepper and cardamom. Long and persistent with elegant and round aftertaste.
Particularly suitable for fish dishes, excellent with vegetable based first courses, white meats and cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A landmark wine for the region, the Livio Felluga 2017 Rosazzo Terre Alte is a careful blend of Friulano, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon packaged in a heavy bottle with the estate's distinctive geographic map depicted on the front label. The 2017 vintage threw some big challenges at vintners with hot summer temperatures and excessive rains in September. However, white varieties such as the ones used in this blend managed a good window for optimal ripening. The wine is deceptive, and I mean that in a good way. On first examination, the bouquet feels fruity and lean. But as the fiber of the wine settles on the palate, you are made aware of the unexpected complexity and depth delivered in a second wave. The wine rushes with intensity. Fruit, peach and honey segue to crushed sandstone and dried basil. This is a keeper.
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James Suckling
Aromas of dried apple, lime zest, green mango, dried herbs and crushed stones. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tangy acidity and a waxy, oily texture. Dense and seamlessly layered with a long, deliciously saline finish. Blend of friulano, pinot bianco and sauvignon. Drink or hold.
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Wine & Spirits
Terre Alte (friulano, pinot bianco and sauvignon blanc) is the most balanced and elegant of Livio Felluga’s three white blends from the 2017 vintage (Illivio and Abbazia di Rosazzo are also recommended here). Initially reticent on the nose and the palate, it begins to unfurl by the third day, showing flavors of pineapple, white peach and mandarin orange couched in a texture that feels like fresh cream. Decant it half an hour before serving with a rich poultry dish.
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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.
Felluga does not believe in undistinguished, homogenous wine styles, but rather focuses on subtle, elegant expressions of wines made from grapes which have been grown in Friuli for centuries. Balance and clarity are the hallmarks of these wines, with minimum influence from oak and maximum freshness.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
The source of some of Italy’s best and most distinctive white wines, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is where Italian, Germanic and Slavic cultures converge. The styles of wines produced in this region of Italy's far north-east reflect this merging of cultures. Often shortened to just “Friuli,” the area is divided into many distinct subzones, including Friuli Grave, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Collio Goriziano and Carso. The flat valley of Friuli Grave is responsible for a large proportion of the region’s wine production, particularly the approachable Pinot grigio and the popular Prosecco. The best vineyard locations are often on hillsides, as in Colli Orientali del Friuli or Collio. In general, Friuli boasts an ideal climate for viticulture, with warm sunny days and chilly nights, which allow grapes to ripen slowly and evenly.
In Colli Orientali, the specialty is crisp, flavorful white wine made from indigenous varieities like Friulano (formerly known as Tocai Friulano), Ribolla gialla and Malvasia Istriana.
Red wines, though far less common here, can be quite good, especially when made from the deeply colored, rustic Refosco variety. In Collio Goriziano, which abutts Slovenia, many of the same varieties are planted. International varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc are also common, but they tend to be Loire-like in style with herbaceous character and mellow tannins. Carso’s star grape is the red Teranno, notable for being rich in iron content and historically consumed for health purposes. It has an earthy, meaty profile and is often confused with the distinct variety Refosco.