Who: Allesandro Sandrin
What: 40% Friulano, 40% Pinot Bianco, 20% Ribolla Giala
Where: Collio, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Tastes Like: Over-ripe stone fruits and wet leaves on the nose. Medium bodied; lush, ripe fruit and a hint of bread crust, with salinity in the finish.
Pairs with: Pasta for days. Gooey cheese. Risotto, Lobster, and white meats.
The Who & The Where:
More than a century has passed, since the first Felluga crossed his history with wine. The island of Istria was the place of origin of Malvasia and Refosco d'Istria productions. Just after the Great War, the family moved to the other side of the gulf, to Grado and then in Friuli. It is here that the family discovered, feel in love with and chose to live in the Collio. With low elevations, marked by rolling hills, the Collio was one of the first Italian areas to obtain the DOC classification in 1964.
The climate is mild, thanks to the proximity of the Adriatic Sea and the Julian Pre-alps, and it is ideal for viticulture, with warm days/cool nights in spring and mild summers. Every hill has its own microclimate, sandstone-marl soils are the ideal habitat for the cultivation of Collio’s grapes and vineyards. All white wines are suitable to be drunk relatively young, but they can also age several years, after which they present very interesting minerals and ripe fruit complexities.
Marco Felluga has its vineyards located in four different areas of Collio territory: Farra, San Floriano, Oslavia and Cormòns. From these vines comes the quality of its wines, both white and red. The vineyards of Russiz Superiore company, Felluga's sister label, are located around the winery, in the heart of Collio. The two wineries are based on the concept that quality production is a must and in a standard on which to constantly improve, which covers all phases of activities, starting from vine growing and pruning, bud selection and the harvest, then maceration, pressing and winemaking. Although they are specialized in the production of white wines - as per Friulian wine tradition - the quality of their red wines is as great as the whites, both native and international, with great structure and suitable for long aging.
The Wine:
Collio Bianco Molamatta of Marco Felluga winery is one of the most representative wines of Collio and also one of the most important wines of the entire production of Marco Felluga's family. "Molamatta" is the geographical name that identifies the area where the vineyards of this wine are located, in the municipality of Farra d'Isonzo. The wine is made from Pinot Bianco 40%, Friulano 40%, Ribolla 20% grapes. After de-stemming, the juice and pulp undergo a cold maceration, then a soft pressing, which allows the separation of the skins. The must obtained from Pinot Bianco grapes is fermented in small oak barrels, while that obtained from the other grapes varieties is fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine ages on the lees about a year and a few months in the bottle before shipping.
Collio Bianco Molamatta has a golden yellow colour. When young, it is characterized by an elegant exotic fruit scent that evolves over time, taking personal notes reminiscent of sweet spices, especially bread crust and vanilla. Enveloping the mouth,the wine presents good balance, with a very long finish.
2016 Maison Foucher “Le Vigne en Veron” Chinon Rouge
Who: Jean Mounard; Jacky Foucher
What: 100% Cabernet Franc
Where: Chinon, Loire, France
Tastes Like: Aromas of dried oregano and poblano peppers. Medium bodied, dark fruits with a little bit of earth and integrated tannin.
Pairs With: Gamey items, Etruscan pizza, Conchiglie with rabbit
The Who:
Located 30 kilometers northeast of Sancerre in the village of Aligny-Cosne, Maison Foucher is a “Petit Négociant” with a mission to craft classic expressions of Loire Valley appellations at exceptional values. The estate was founded in 1921 by Paul Lebrun, a cooper by trade, who developed his company servicing a clientele made up of restaurants and cafés in the Loire Valley and Paris. During the 1950s, Paul's son-in-law Raymond Foucher took the reins and then in 1985 passed the baton to his son, Jacky Foucher.
In late 2009, with the aim of raising the company's image and developing overseas business, the Foucher family brought on Jean Mounard as a new partner to pave the road ahead. Jean spent many years at the helm of a fine and rare wine brokerage business in Paris, specializing in iconic estates such as DRC, Mouton-Rothchild and Leflaive. His first order of business was to pioneer the production of small batch wines from selected plots in Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Saumur-Champigny, some of which are now farmed organically. Given his deep experience tasting the great wines of the world as well as his many contacts among top producers in the Loire, Jean has been able to establish strong relationships with growers and significantly elevate the quality of the wines.
The Wine:
The grapes come from selected vineyards in the Chinon region, and grown on sandy terraces or calcereous “aubuis” soils. They are harvested by hand, destemmed, and fermented in stainless steel. The wine is aged for 8 months before bottling in mostly stainless steel with a small portion in old oak.
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