2024 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio DOC, Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Intense straw yellow with a copper-coloured shimmer. Lots of caramel and crunchy Williams pear on the nose, with a hint of acacia honey. Delicately creamy texture on the palate, harmonious acidity, lively, juicy finish.

92 points Falstaff

Livio Felluga is one of the great names of Friuli, its story closely tied to the revival of the region’s vineyards after the Second World War. Livio Felluga settled in the Colli Orientali in the 1950s, restoring abandoned hillside vineyards and helping establish Friuli’s reputation for serious white wine. The estate’s distinctive map label has since become something of a regional signature, and the family remains at the helm today.

Pinot Grigio is treated with considerably more ambition here than in the oceans of simple Italian examples. Fruit from hillside vineyards benefits from Friuli’s meeting of Alpine and Adriatic influences, while the region’s marl and sandstone soils contribute texture and savoury character. The 2024 has plenty of freshness, but there is also enough weight and detail to make this a proper dinner table Pinot Grigio rather than merely an aperitivo.

Bright straw yellow with subtle copper highlights. Ripe pear, yellow apple and white peach open the nose, followed by grapefruit, acacia blossom and a little citrus peel. Fennel, almond and gentle spice sit underneath. The palate is dry and supple, with pear and stone fruit filling the middle before fresh acidity tightens the frame. Grapefruit peel, almond skin and a faint saline note leave a clean, savoury finish.

Crab linguine with lemon, chilli and parsley has all the right moves here. Grilled prawns with fennel, kingfish crudo, zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta or asparagus risotto with Parmigiano would be equally comfortable at the table. Our pick is the crab linguine, keeping the sauce light and letting the sweet crab work against the wine’s citrus and almond notes.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2031.