Wine & Spirits - Winter 2016 - 75

Vadiaperti I TALY XXXXXXXX F RIULI TOP 100 WINERIES 2016 I TALY XXXXXXXX C AMPANIA Livio Felluga Founded: 1984 Owner/winemaker/viticulturist: Founded: XXXX Raffaele Troisi Owner/winemaker/viticulturist: Acres owned: 24 XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX Annual production: 5,833 cases Acres owned: XXX Estate grown: 100% Cases produced: XXXXXX Importer: North Berkeley Imports, Estate grown: 100% Berkeley, CA; Artisan Wines, Importer: Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx, XX Norwalk, CT Website: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx Website: vadiaperti.it Xxxxxxx RaffaeleXxxxxx Troisi Raffaele Troisi makes a dramatic Top 100 debut with all six of his 2014 releases garnering 90 points or higher. Troisi grows three Campanian white varieties-fiano, greco and coda di volpe-and bottles a regional and "cru" version of each. All of his wines show a crystalline purity and textural depth that we found fascinating and, at times, thrilling. Irpinia Roots: The Troisi family has cultivated vines in the volcanic soils of Irpinia since the late 19th century, and remained loyal to native Campanian varieties at a time when others in the region were turning to international varieties. The family sold its grapes until Troisi's father, Antonio, bottled his first commercial release, a 1984 fiano. Troisi worked with his grandmother and father until taking the reins in 1998; he farms 24 acres of vines with an approach that he calls "traditional and biological," rejecting the use of chemicals. "In the end, my daughter can take berries from the plants and eat them," he says. "For me, this condition shows the perfect balance in the ecosystem." You won't find any oak barrels in Troisi's cellar; all of his white wines ferment and age in stainless steel tanks, without any skin contact or lees stirring, his intention to give the fullest expression to his work in the vineyards. Ageworthy Fiano: Troisi's 2014 fianos were standouts this year, with the edge going to the single-vineyard Aipierti for its extra intensity. Pulled from a steep slope of vines averaging 33 years of age, Aipierti shows chenin-like flavors of honeyed apple that bristle with salinity, and a core of bright acidity that promises a decade or more of improvement in the cellar. You'll find that same salinity in Troisi's basic fiano, along with refreshing flavors of orchard fruits and savory notes of salted almonds. Singular Coda di Volpe: Years ago, Troisi's family took the unusual decision to bottle coda di volpe, then considered little more than a blending grape by most Campanian vignerons. The vines in their Torama Vineyard are now 40 to 60 years old and yield a wine with bright lemony acidity that propels flavors so briny and savory they bring to mind a Fino Sherry. -S.J. TOP-SCORING WINES Founded: 1956 Winemaker: Andrea Felluga Founded: XXXX Viticulturist: Daniele Cocetta Owner/winemaker/viticulturist: Owner: The Felluga family XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX Acres owned: 432 Acres owned: XXX Annual production: 66,000 cases Cases produced: XXXXXX Estate grown: 80% Estate grown: 100% Importer: MW Imports, Importer: Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx, XX White Plains, NY Website: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx Website: liviofelluga.it Xxxxxxx Andrea Felluga Xxxxxx Livio Felluga's wines showed consistent quality over multiple vintages and styles to earn the family winery its fourth appearance in the Top 100, scoring highly with two white wines, one red and a stunning dessert wine. Friuli Pioneer: Livio Felluga was one of the pioneers who helped reestablish Friuli's vineyards after the devastation of World War II. At a time when the hillsides around Rosazzo were largely abandoned, Felluga began buying vineyard land in the early 1950s and established his winery in 1956, creating the famous map label that still adorns the winery's bottles today. He championed the idea of ageworthy Friulian whites, wines that gain complexity through blends of grapes and maturation in oak casks. That complexity stands out in the wine from Abbazia di Rosazzo. Livio Felluga cultivated a long relationship with the proprietors at this historic property, and took over management of the abbey's vineyards in 2009. He selects the best grapes from the abbey's 42 acres of vineyard, making a fivevariety blend. Aged for a few months in oak casks, it picks up notes of caramel and saltwater toffee that cushion the wine's cool flavors of peach and mango. Sweet Success: The 2011 Picolit stood out in this year's panels as one of the more compelling dessert wines we tasted. Felluga considers it the "jewel" in his range of wines; its rich flavors of dried orange, pineapple and sweet spice derive from partially dried grapes that ferment and mature in small oak casks over 18 months. NextGen: Livio Felluga retired in September 2014, on his 100th birthday, and handed the reins of the family winery to the next generation. His son Andrea has been in charge of winemaking since 1994; Filippo helps manage the vineyards, Marizio is export director for Europe and Asia, and Elda takes care of hospitality and tourism. -S.J. TOP-SCORING WINES XX '14 94 'XX Fiano Xxxxxxxx di Avellino XxxxxxxAipierti Xxxxx $38 $XX (10/16) (XX/XX) XX '11 93 'XX Colli Xxxxxxxx Orientali Xxxxxxx del Friuli XxxxxPicolit $XX (XX/XX) $125 (10/16) XX '14 93 'XX Fiano Xxxxxxxx di Avellino Xxxxxxx$22 Xxxxx (10/16) $XX (XX/XX) XX '13 91 'XX Rosazzo XxxxxxxxAbbazia XxxxxxxdiXxxxx Rosazzo $XXWhite (XX/XX) $50 (10/16) XX '14 93 'XX Irpinia Xxxxxxxx Torama Xxxxxxx Coda Xxxxx di Volpe $XX $36 (XX/XX) (10/16) XX '15 90 'XX Friuli Xxxxxxxx ColliXxxxxxx OrientaliXxxxx Friulano $XX$25 (XX/XX) (10/16) WINE & SPIRITS BUYING GUIDE 2017 75 http://www.vadiaperti.it http://www.liviofelluga.it

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - Winter 2016