Day three started well. Tasting the wines of the brilliant Livio Felluga. There is only one word to describe the wines, and that is outstanding. Sure, they are not cheap, with the most inexpensive coming in at around £15, but for any wine buff, you have to try these at some point in your life.
The 2007 Livio Felluga Sharjs is a blend of Chardonnay and Ribolla Gialla, and is one of the more inexpensive wines retailing at £15. Dried mango, a little pineapple and spice coming through with a little apricot on the palate. A wonderful clean wine, dry and with a bit of bitter lemon. 8/10
Next was the 2007 Pinot Grigio (£17 to £18) with it’s dry chalky nose and soft fleshy fruit. It was a little cold, and all I got was a spicy, white pepper and pencil shavings flavour. A touch of peach on the finish. 8/10. Quicky after that was the Friulano. I really like this. It has a salty cheese – almost pecorino – on the nose, a little sage and a touch of peach. The palate is creamy in texture with pithy flavours and again, more peach. A long, spicy finish. 8/10
An Italian Sauvignon Blanc never fills me with enthusiasm. I just don’t think that they do them well. If you want old world, go to France. If you want new world, go to New Zealand and South Africa occupies a nice middle ground. Job done. I have found a fourth home for Sauvignon, and it is Livio Felluga! Their 2007 Sauvignon is so subtle it is glorious. This is a gentle, elegant wine that made me write the words ‘subtle’ and ‘gentle’ and the phrase ‘a touch’ more times in a tasting note than I thought possible. It is truly gorgeous with cut grass, elderflower and asparagus aromas and flavours all mingling together. It was stunning. I rated it 8/10 on the day, but looking back through my notes on the bus that night, it has to be 9/10. It astounded me and made me change my opinions. Not many wines do that.
The 2006 illivio bothers me. And only because they don’t put a capital letter at the start of the word. It makes me think of mass produced electrical goods and that has no place in the wine world. Otherwise we will get things like ‘B-M’ instead of Batard Montrachet and ‘cHablis’. The wine on the other hand, you can’t fault. Created to celebrate Livio Felluga’s 85th birthday by his children, it has nice oaky tropical frUIt flavours and a touch of peach skins. Orange peel is there with a flowery character. 8/10
We were then treated (by accident) to a 1997 Sosso. This was good. Spicy cinnamon and cherry aromas led onto a stalky plum, liquorice and marionberries (a bramble/raspberry like fruit that grows in Oregon). A lovely wine. 8/10. The most recent vintage came next, the 2004, which was a big, chunky, spicy and dark tannin fest. So tight and gutsy, this is the American football player that starts off all tough but then softens into a gentle, polite sophisticated gent. 7.5/10
Then the Vertigo from 2006 came. This Merlot Cabernet is a big on green pepper, cassis and cherry aromas and sour cherries battering through the tannin fest going on in your mouth. It is huge, but brilliant. 8/10 now, but once softened down it could be brilliant.
Finally, the 2005 Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. This has a perfumy, cherry and violet nose, so soft on the nose. The palate is nicely dry with a dried theme running through it. It has flavours of dried cranberries, dried cherry and dried meat! It sounds bad, but it really works. 9/10
These wines, as I say, are not the cheapest on earth, but they are far from being the most expensive. In a world where Bordeaux prices are creeping to silly prices, Barolos and Amarones are going up too, these wines are becoming good value for money. Look them out, you will love them.
Livio Felluga Website
The 2007 Livio Felluga Sharjs is a blend of Chardonnay and Ribolla Gialla, and is one of the more inexpensive wines retailing at £15. Dried mango, a little pineapple and spice coming through with a little apricot on the palate. A wonderful clean wine, dry and with a bit of bitter lemon. 8/10
Next was the 2007 Pinot Grigio (£17 to £18) with it’s dry chalky nose and soft fleshy fruit. It was a little cold, and all I got was a spicy, white pepper and pencil shavings flavour. A touch of peach on the finish. 8/10. Quicky after that was the Friulano. I really like this. It has a salty cheese – almost pecorino – on the nose, a little sage and a touch of peach. The palate is creamy in texture with pithy flavours and again, more peach. A long, spicy finish. 8/10
An Italian Sauvignon Blanc never fills me with enthusiasm. I just don’t think that they do them well. If you want old world, go to France. If you want new world, go to New Zealand and South Africa occupies a nice middle ground. Job done. I have found a fourth home for Sauvignon, and it is Livio Felluga! Their 2007 Sauvignon is so subtle it is glorious. This is a gentle, elegant wine that made me write the words ‘subtle’ and ‘gentle’ and the phrase ‘a touch’ more times in a tasting note than I thought possible. It is truly gorgeous with cut grass, elderflower and asparagus aromas and flavours all mingling together. It was stunning. I rated it 8/10 on the day, but looking back through my notes on the bus that night, it has to be 9/10. It astounded me and made me change my opinions. Not many wines do that.
The 2006 illivio bothers me. And only because they don’t put a capital letter at the start of the word. It makes me think of mass produced electrical goods and that has no place in the wine world. Otherwise we will get things like ‘B-M’ instead of Batard Montrachet and ‘cHablis’. The wine on the other hand, you can’t fault. Created to celebrate Livio Felluga’s 85th birthday by his children, it has nice oaky tropical frUIt flavours and a touch of peach skins. Orange peel is there with a flowery character. 8/10
We were then treated (by accident) to a 1997 Sosso. This was good. Spicy cinnamon and cherry aromas led onto a stalky plum, liquorice and marionberries (a bramble/raspberry like fruit that grows in Oregon). A lovely wine. 8/10. The most recent vintage came next, the 2004, which was a big, chunky, spicy and dark tannin fest. So tight and gutsy, this is the American football player that starts off all tough but then softens into a gentle, polite sophisticated gent. 7.5/10
Then the Vertigo from 2006 came. This Merlot Cabernet is a big on green pepper, cassis and cherry aromas and sour cherries battering through the tannin fest going on in your mouth. It is huge, but brilliant. 8/10 now, but once softened down it could be brilliant.
Finally, the 2005 Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. This has a perfumy, cherry and violet nose, so soft on the nose. The palate is nicely dry with a dried theme running through it. It has flavours of dried cranberries, dried cherry and dried meat! It sounds bad, but it really works. 9/10
These wines, as I say, are not the cheapest on earth, but they are far from being the most expensive. In a world where Bordeaux prices are creeping to silly prices, Barolos and Amarones are going up too, these wines are becoming good value for money. Look them out, you will love them.
Livio Felluga Website
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