Is it Livio, or is it Memorex?

Livio Felluga 2007 Collio Sauvignon (Friuli Venezia-Giulia) – Firm, cold-tasting, riesling-ish sauvignon blanc. A pillar of metallic/acidic structure is rammed right through the spine of this wine, and though there’s a low level aura of faint electricity around that pillar, this is still a monosyllabic wine. On the other hand, some wines say more in a single syllable than others. (8/10)

Klin slate

Primosic 2006 Collio Bianco Klin “Riserva” (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) – Vibrant with complexity, quite tannic, and low-toned. If anything, slightly over-structured, oozing into a dark brown realm of density and gravity. And there’s no lack of oxidation, either. But it’s delicious. (5/10)

Draw the Kurtin

Kurtin 2005 Ribolla Gialla (Collio) – Windy and flat, with wax and skins (the kind that are typical to traditionally-fermented ribolla gialla, not the amped-up structure of the “orange wine” cohort). Some underripe lime wanders about. Stodgy and linear. (10/07)

Two Mauro

Castel San Mauro 2005 Ribolla Gialla (Collio) – Fulsome, but structured like a broad, flat plain. Leaves, minerals, and angles…the acuteness of which increase as the wine approaches its finish. Some alcoholic fatness as well. Just OK. (10/07)

Gradnik degree

Gradnik 2005 Ribolla Gialla (Collio) – Very full-bodied, with ripe, yellow-toned fruit. The palate quickly deadens any pleasurable aromatic sensations, however, and soon the wine has taken on the texture of peanut butter. This is not, in case it’s unclear, a welcome impression. (10/07)

Livio little

Livio Felluga 2004 Collio Sauvignon (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) – Showing surprising maturity, which here in a bronzing in both color and flavor, bringing forth a metallic faux-structural element similar to that of an “orange wine” (though this isn’t one of those), yet still retaining a firm iron grip on a green-white dwarf star of sauvignon blanc-ishness. Drink. (12/09)

Klingon wine

Damijan 2003 “Kaplja” (Collio) – Fat tangerine. Short and blowsy. It seems that some orange wines can’t avoid being victimized by this vintage, though there are exceptions. This isn’t one of them. (7/09)

Damijan 2004 “Kaplja” (Collio) – A lovely nose of ripe fruit, flowers, and confiture, but the palate is separated and disappointing. (7/09)

Felluga whale

Marco Felluga 2007 Collio Friuliano (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) – Airy, like drinking white clouds with some lemony acidity. With aggressive swirling, there’s acacia and some pale floral notes, but the wine’s chief attribute is its antigravitic lightness. (6/09)

Felluga caviar

Marco Felluga 2006 Collio Ribolla Gialla (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) – As ribolla goes, this is a medium-light version…which is to say, it would be somewhat leaden were it a different grape. There’s a decent amount of crispness, but the wine will never be light on its feet. Wax, candleflame, preserved lemon, green leaves, and the barest hint of a brown, gravelly minerality. But it’s also fairly short, and somewhat insubstantial. (2/09)

Polo

Marco Felluga 2006 Collio Ribolla Gialla (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) – Crisp but waxy, showing underripe cherries and a lot of a sort of textural, non-structural structure. I know, I know, that doesn’t make any sense. It’s got a physical presence, but not a lot of true structure (like, say, acidity), and finishes shortish. Still, it’s more interesting than chardonnay. (2/08)

Tragedy of the Cormòns

Cantina Produttori Cormòns 2003 Collio Tocai Friuliano “Rinascimento” (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) – Incredibly thick and ponderous, with the fat, waxy, oxidative and bizarrely iconoclastic flavors one expects from…well, Gravner. Where this fails and Josko succeeds, however, is that the blistering presence is all there is to this wine; complexity and life do not follow. This could be the fault of the vintage, and to be honest I have no idea if this is the style the cooperative intends with this wine, but it’s certainly a…unique experience. (4/08)

Gangster's Paradise

Radikon 1999 Collio “Oslavje Riserva” (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) – Even more than the ribolla, this is pure red wine in white form. Mixed chocolates and zillions of unidentifiable fruits coalesce into a huge, full-bodied, beautifully supple nectar. This is as rich as a wine can be without relying on either extreme residual sugar or oak (or both), but it’s far from heavy. Stunning. Stunning. (1/08)