2024 Livio Felluga Friulano Colli Orientali DOC, Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Aromas of restrained stone fruit, peach peel, ferns, lemon leaves, flowers, iodine, stones and minerals. Very silky and smooth on the medium-bodied palate, almost leesy, yet balanced by crisp acidity, with tension in the long and savory finish. Drink now.

93 points jamessuckling.com

From the rolling hills of the Colli Orientali, this Friulano shows why Livio Felluga is considered one of Friuli’s foundational estates. The region’s marl and sandstone soils, known locally as ponca, give the wine its distinctive mineral backbone, while Adriatic breezes preserve freshness in a warm corner of northern Italy. Felluga built his reputation on precision white wines, and Friulano sits at the heart of that legacy, savoury, textural and unmistakably regional.

Winemaking focuses on purity and detail. Careful fermentation and lees contact build gentle weight without muting the grape’s almond edged character. The style is dry and layered, designed to shine at the table rather than overwhelm.

Pale straw with green flashes, the aromas open with pear, citrus blossom and white peach, followed by almond, herbs and a faint saline note. The palate is medium bodied and silky, with orchard fruit wrapped in fresh acidity and a subtle waxy texture. Flavours of pear, lemon and almond carry into a long, dry finish that feels both savoury and mineral.

It pairs beautifully with prosciutto, seafood, vegetable dishes and light pasta. Drinking beautifully now for its freshness and texture, it will hold comfortably for five to seven years, gaining nutty complexity.

This is Friulano in its classic voice, elegant, savoury and deeply tied to Friuli’s hills.