Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino 2020

Drink it now or cellar for up to 20 years. It is recommended to decant it for an hour.

Fuligni is a fairly large estate with over 100 hectares to the north-east of Montalcino which is known for its classic style of Brunello. Viticulture here is overseen by renowned Sangiovese expert Paolo Vagaggini who helps bring out the very best expression of the estate’s 14 hectares of vineyards. Most are planted on stony soils at up to 450 metres above sea level with each plot vinified separately in the winery.

Their headliner Brunello is an opulent composition of the best parcels across the estate and is only produced in good vintages. Once in the winery grapes go into temperature-controlled stainless steel vats for fermentation, with maturation in large Slavonian oak casks made by local artisans for a minimum of 2.5 to 3 years. This is followed by another year or so of bottle ageing.

Warming spices, cedar, and rose petals mingle on the nose with deeper undertones of crushed cherries and ripe red berries lingering in the glass. On the palate there’s a refined core of fresh fruit supported by firm tannins, a medium-plus body, and a gentle finish with notes of licorice and baked earth.