2016 Marco Felluga Sauvignon Riserva Russiz Superiore Collio 750 ml

Burgundy has Ramonet and Coche-Dury. California’s got Kongsgaard, and the Loire has Dagueneau. To the short list of white wine producers that evoke immediate reverence among wine lovers the world over, we’d add Felluga. 

The Northern Italian clan has earned a cult-like following for the sublime wines they produce from their pristine terroir, and the 2016 Sauvignon Riserva Russiz Superiore Collio manages to capture their magic in one bottle. Boasting Tre Bicchieri honors, a 95-point Editors’ Choice review from Wine Enthusiast, and a top-40 showing in the Enthusiast 100, this is a wine that stands with the great Sauvignon Blancs of Sancerre and Bordeaux.

It also stands alone: Enthusiast summed it up as “a benchmark for Italian whites,” and after just one swirl, you’ll know you’re in for a special experience. Boasting a bright golden core after four years of aging, it delivers layers of steeped chamomile flowers, starfruit, and fresh-cut green pineapple, all accented with baking spice. The mouthfeel is grand and generously textured, with waves of guava and Sicilian lemon zest touched by roasted Marcona almonds, all riding a jolt of vibrant acidity to an extremely long and satisfying finish. 

The few showpiece Sauvignon Blancs that can be counted among the world’s great wines—we’re thinking of Dagueneau’s Silex ($149) and Lail’s Georgia ($151)—are well worth their lofty prices, and that makes Felluga’s Russiz Superiore an outright steal. Today we’ve got a tiny allocation, and it's not destined to last long. 

The Sauvignon Blanc is raised on soils from the Eocene era that once comprised the ocean floor. These soils are impermeable, so rainwater flows off their surface, which minimizes erosion and eliminates standing water, adding to the gorgeous concentration of the grapes. 

The Sauvignon Riserva is hand-harvested, and includes 5% of grapes that are overripe, which imparts the gorgeous body of this wine. It’s fermented in a combination of stainless steel (70%) and the rest in oak barrels that contribute to the wine’s beautiful golden depth—something that’s enhanced by three years on the lees, and one year in bottle. 

The Felluga family has a lineage that dates to the late 1800s, when Michele Felluga started buying and selling wines in Istria. His son Marco then expanded the business, growing and producing wine on the family farm just south of Trieste, before his son Giovanni continued the trade. But after World War II, their land became part of Soviet-dominated Yugoslavia, and they made Collio in Friuli their new home. 

Two of Giovanni’s children, Livio and Marco, established wineries in the area, and have gone on to become winemaking titans. Marco founded his in 1956, and now helmed by his son Roberto, the operation focuses 75% on white wine from Collio Goriziano, a stretch that's situated on the hilly border with Slovenia. 

Now, four years after harvest, this bottle is shining with stunning Sauvignon Blanc concentration, cellar-earned depth, and all the characteristics that make it a European benchmark for white wine. Age-worthy, perfect to pair with vegetables and seafood, and endlessly fascinating on its own, this is Sauvignon Blanc at its very best. We only have a tiny sliver of an allocation, so act accordingly.