Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Curubella DOC

Friuli Colli Orientali, Italy

Vintage:2021 (Current)

2019 (Past) | 2020 (Current) |

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Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Curubella DOC 2021
  • WE 96
  • WA 93
  • JS 93

Reviews

The Wine Advocate 93 Points April 2026, Monica Larner

The Livio Felluga 2021 Friuli Colli Orientali Pinot Grigio Curubella—a name meaning “hilltop” in local dialect and introduced in 2018—offers a more structured and characterful expression of the grape, shaped by longer skin maceration that gives the wine a slightly deeper hue and added complexity over a more classic Pinot Grigio style. The bouquet reveals pronounced freshness alongside notes of pear, white pepper, licorice, balsamic herbs and marked salinity, while the palate shows impressive intensity balanced by delicacy, with a layered, savory profile that feels both profound and beautifully composed.

Wine Enthusiast 96 Points November 2025, Jeff Porter

The subtle rose gold hue is your first hint that this isn't your everyday Pinot Grigio. Aromas spiral upward like a siren song, cherry blossoms, fresh-snipped herbs, honeydew, and delicate finger lime all weave together in mesmerizing layers. The palate is a revelation: orange oil and zest mingle with green almond notes, all wrapped in a salty, textured embrace that somehow manages to stay light on its feet. There's volume here, but it moves with such grace. This is a wine that makes you pause and wonder, both totally delicious now and promising even more intrigue for those patient enough to cellar it.

JamesSuckling.com 93 Points May 2025, Aldo Fiordelli

A fairly neutral wine, slightly reductive, with aromas of stone fruit and spicy minerality, it deserves attention for the weight, zesty acidity and medium body. Good length. Drink now.

Overview

Livio Felluga moved to Friuli in the late 1930s and made his home on the gentle foothills of Rosazzo. Convinced that only a rebirth of quality farming could bring the Friuli countryside back to life, he began to renovate the old vineyards of Rosazzo and plant new ones, introducing innovative ideas and methods. The focus on quality and respect for the vineyard once embodied by Livio Felluga himself have been proudly carried out by the family over the years. Today, the 500-acre winery is led by Livio’s son, Andrea Felluga, who is committed to continue the family legacy by producing wines of distinction for years to come.

The grapes of Curubella, a dialect term denoting rounded uplands, have a sophisticated and harmonious soul, evocative of elegant, early 20th century Middle-European salons. We have decided to valorize them by offering an increasingly specific and detailed expression of our land. A curubella is indeed the backdrop for this mass selection, with particularly tiny, quite sparse bunches, planted in 1981. On this podium, visible from the Ancient Belvedere looking towards the Vigne Museum, the terroir endows the grapes with a powerful, strongly marked character. We have therefore decided to give a unique and individual expression to this variety which has long accompanied Friuli’s winegrowing history.

Winemaking

The hand-picked grapes, placed in small crates, were destemmed and left to undergo maceration on the skins for two days. The wine was racked into 10- and 17-hecotlitre containers made of cocciopesto towards the end of alcoholic fermentation, to permit proper temperature control. Malolactic fermentation took place over two weeks. Keeping the wine on the yeasts in these containers contributed to its creamy texture and sweet aromas.

Tasting Notes

A complex texture of caramelised almonds intertwines with the citrussy freshness of pink grapefruit. Moving the wine in the glass, a delicate hint of cherry emerges while spicy notes of white chocolate and white clay minerals appear in the background. Conquers the palate with a silky, enveloping texture, in an elegant caress. A hint of wild daisies adds a floral note. The generous, lingering finish leaves tang of salted butter that irresistibly invites another sip.

Harvest Notes

The harvest took place the 6th of September 2021.

Food Pairing

Flexible and generous, an ideal accompaniment to summer evenings as a striking aperitif or alongside seared scallops with puréed peas and powdered bacon; risotto with Romanesco broccoli, fillets of red mullet and burrata; red shrimp tartare with datterini tomatoes and passion fruit; crab alla veneziana. In colder weather, it is perfect served with beet ravioli with ricotta; pumpkin risotto with turmeric and porcini mushrooms; but also holds its own with mild, sweet white meats, complementing its tangy flavor.

Technical Information

Varietals: 100% Pinot Grigio

Harvest Start Date: September 6, 0021

Bottling Date: August 17, 2022