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Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino MAGNUM 2017

Sangiovese from Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

$570

$550ea in any 3+
$530ea in any 6+
Closure: Cork

Description

The Fuligni 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is a beautiful wine, and it shines a much-deserved spotlight on one of the most consistent estates in Montalcino. It is bright and luminous with a dark ruby shine. The bouquet reveals deeply layered tones of red cherry, wild berry, rose, earth and candied violets. Give the wine an extra twirl or two, and you get some rosemary and lavender. Soft dusty mineral and limestone also appear. I’d definitely put this bottle on a short list of the most recommended bottles from the 2017 vintage.

Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

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Why is this Wine so Yummy?

About Fuligni

Established: 1923
Owners: Maria Flora Fuligni & Roberto Guerrini Fuligni
Winemakers: Roberto Guerrini Fuligni & Paolo Vagaggini
Production: 46,000 bottles
Hectares under vine: 11
Viticulture: Conventional

This beautiful property, surrounding a 16th century Medici villa, was founded in 1923 by a descendant of the Venetian Fulignis. Although the wines labels still bear that city’s symbol, the lion of St. Marco, the family has long been thoroughly Tuscan.  The present generations are Maria Flora Fuligni and nephew Roberto Guerrini Fuligni, a.k.a  Professor of Criminal Law at Siena University, who styles the wines with oenologist Paolo Vagaggini.

The property is on an almost continual strip on the eastern side of Montalcino, divided into four vineyards: San Giovanni, Il Piano, Ginestreto and La Bandita. The vineyards are predominantly east facing at 380-450 metres on rocky terrain. The soil is low in organic components and conducive to minuscule yields, further restrained by the age of the vines (mostly between 15-35 years with peaks of 55 years). Over the last decade, Roberto’s profound revision of the winery’s quality criteria – drastically reduced crops and even stricter selection of grapes that are vinified separately according to cru – have maximized the superb potential of his terroir and propelled Fuligni to be amongst the finest in the region. The wine is aged for three years in a combination of Slavonian oak barrels and tonneaux, followed by a year in the bottle. Stylistically, the wines capture the middle ground between modern and traditional, bursting at the seams with plum and cherry fruit sustained by a firm, full structure and polished tannins.

Vintage 2017

From Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

This balance was difficult to achieve in 2017, mainly because high temperatures concentrated sugars in the fruit, thus causing alcohol to rise. Although I must say that experienced vintners worked hard to achieve elegance, and the results are impressive, despite the many challenges. (I have included a list below of some of the most successful, under-the-radar efforts from 2017.)
“Hot vintages are definitely complicated, and they make us work harder, but we try to interpret each season on its own merits,” says Francesco Ripaccioli of Canalicchio di Sopra. “Alcohol is balanced by good acidity, and this helps us achieve harmony. If the acidity is high, it can support a high alcohol.”
“Acidity is the backbone of a great wine, and I would forfeit a bit of structure in order to achieve a wine that shows greater length, depth and vertical lift. It’s up to us to maintain good acidity even in the hot years.”
“I can’t hide that the issue of alcohol has been a challenge for all us, but we are finding ways to manage it,” he says.
Giacomo Neri of Casanova di Neri says that if the conditions seen in 2017 had actually unfolded 20 years ago, the quality of the wines would be inferior.
“Two decades of experience with many hot vintages have taught us to better manage our work in the vineyards and in the winery. For example, during fermentation and maceration, we do punch-downs instead of pump-overs, and we use oak with more care. Older vines with deeper root systems are able to better withstand climate change,” he says.

Where in the World is Fuligni?

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93 Points

An alluring, spicy and dusty mix of cherry and raspberry preserves, crushed stone and dusty flowers is lifted by cedar shavings and dried citrus peels as the majestic 2017 Brunello di Montalcino blossoms in the glass. This is fleshy yet delicate in feel, displaying pure ripe red berry fruit, nicely contrasted by salty mineral tones, and lacking only a bit of midpalate depth that might take it to the next level. It tapers off long while leaving the mouth watering for more, as a gentle tug of tannin slowly fades under rosy inner florals. Andrea Costanti didn’t produce a Riserva in 2017, and so all of that juice was used to try to bolster the Brunello. From what I’ve tasted, I’d say he succeeded.

Eric Guido, Vinous

97 Points

Extremely elegant and focused, this compelling wine defies the heat of the vintage, starting with a heady fragrance of ripe dark-skinned berries, violet, camphor, dark spice and whiffs of crushed herbs. On the linear, elegantly structured palate, tightly woven but extremely polished tannins accompany juicy Marasca cherry, blood orange, licorice and white pepper while fresh acidity keeps it balanced and fresh.

Kerin O'Keefe

95 Points

The Fuligni 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is a beautiful wine, and it shines a much-deserved spotlight on one of the most consistent estates in Montalcino. It is bright and luminous with a dark ruby shine. The bouquet reveals deeply layered tones of red cherry, wild berry, rose, earth and candied violets. Give the wine an extra twirl or two, and you get some rosemary and lavender. Soft dusty mineral and limestone also appear. I'd definitely put this bottle on a short list of the most recommended bottles from the 2017 vintage.

Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Azienda Fuligni Montalcino, Montalcino, Province of Siena, Italy

Montalcino
Tuscany
Italy