Livio Felluga Chardonnay 2022

Livio Felluga farms the Colli Orientali hills of Friuli in north-east Italy, and this is a varietal Chardonnay made in a fresh, unoaked style. The grapes are hand-harvested from vineyards on loam and sandstone, well-drained soils that lend the wine its mineral edge and keep acidity firm in a cool hillside climate. After a gentle destemming and a short maceration to lift the aromatics, the grapes are pressed and the must clarified by settling. Fermentation is carried out in stainless steel under controlled temperatures, which holds back oak influence and keeps Chardonnay's orchard fruit clean and precise rather than rich and buttery. The 2022 is pale straw-gold with a bright nose of green apple, white peach and lemon over white flowers. The palate is dry and fresh, medium-light in body at 12.5 percent, with pear and a faint almond note carried by a crisp, mineral finish. Serve chilled at 9 to 11 degrees in a white glass.