Fuligni is an estate winery in Montalcino in Tuscany, Italy, founded in 1923 by the Fuligni family, of ancient Venetian and English origin. In Montalcino they acquired the palace (main building) and grounds which they still manage today. The Fuligni Estate spreads over approximately one hundred fully-cultivated hectares of land in an almost continual strip on the eastern side of Montalcino where, historically, the most authentic production of Brunello emerged. Its main wines are Sant’Antimo Rosso DOC, Rosso di Montalcino DOC and Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. It produces about 50,000 bottles.

Owner: Roberto Fuligni and family (Eredi Fuligni too).

History: Maria Flora told me on 18 June 2014 ‘I loved farming and would follow my father out into the fields which were mainly olives then but there were also Brunello vineyards. Initially the wine was for family and friends. At that time our family and the Biondi-Santi were making Brunello, as were families in Sant Angelo in Colle. There were few vineyards at that time in Castelnuovo dell’Abate. We used oxen to work the land. They are very good on sloping ground. At Semeti we had a small FIAT tractor soon after the war ended. It was a rarity then. It was even rarer to find someone who knew how to drive it…I was very sad to have to sell it. My father was a founding member of the Brunello consorzio.’

Staff: Paolo Vagaggini consults.

Terroir: The Fuligni estate spreads over approximately 150ha of cultivated in an almost continual strip in the Cottimelli area, on the north-eastern side of Montalcino where, historically, the most authentic production of Brunello emerged.

Vineyards: 12ha. The majority of the vines are located at Cottimelli [at the end of the hill upon which Montalcino sits]. Altitudes vary from 380 to 450 metres above sea level. Here the land predominantly faces east. It belongs entirely to the Santa Fiora (marl) geological formation of Eocene origin (see Salicutti for a description of this soil type) and is made up of a prevalently rocky terrain. New vines have been planted [at Semeti where there are 90ha of land, part of which is given to the pink-coloured house, most of which is arable land, and the rest [to vines, propagated using budwood of Sangiovese biotypes dating from the 1960s] facing southeast on land which is a mix of “tufo” and clay. The average age of the vines is about twelve years while some others date back over thirty years preserving the old Sangiovese clones of the estate with a lesser density per hectare. The various Fuligni vineyards include:

– San Giovanni vineyard at Cottimelli (370-400 metres). This was planted in 1979. Poor soil, stony galestro. Ripens earliest, slowest MLF. NE facing. Gets the morning sun, but the sun has gone over the hill before it has become so hot in the late evening.

– Il Piano vineyard at Cottimelli: 370-400 metres. NE facing like San Giovanni (which see). Galestro.

– Ginestreto vineyard at Cottimelli: 370-400 metres. NE facing like San Giovanni (which see). Stony galestro.

– La Vignaccia vineyard at Cottimelli: 370-400 metres NE facing like San Giovanni (which see).

– La Bandita vineyard at Semiti: on heavier clay which gives a more structured wine.

– Vigna dell’Aquila at Semiti: on heavier clay.

Viticulture: Older vineyards vineyards were planted at 3,330 vines per hectare. New plantings are at 5,000 vines per hectare.

Winemaking: The Brunello ages in tonneaux and 30hl wooden vats.

Red wines

S.J.: An acronym for San Giacomo. | 2012 60% Sangiovese, 40% Merlot.

Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Ginestreto: Named after the eponymous vineyard Ginestreto which itself is named after broom or ‘ginestra’, the flower of the desert. | 2010 12,000 bottles. 14% Decent fruit, well made, nice weight, good wine (tasted Jan 2013). Ripe and clean and satisfying, well made, clear, well selected and extracted (Anteprima 2013). | 2011 Bright, moderately intense crimson, crunchy red fruit, ready now but will last a good few years (at the consorzio with Ian d’Agata Tuesday 28th May 2013). 2012 L1/2014 Took a couple of days to open, lovely berry fruit, correct weight for a Rosso (28th July 24). | 2013 Very polished and drinkable (Benvenuto Brunello 2015).

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Fuligni: 2000 Nice elegant cool style, no real weight, hint of evolution in colour and the fruit, but elegant tannins, lightish but refreshing (Anteprima 2005). | 2002 None released. | 2006 Bottled. | 2007 Bottled. | 2008 28,500 bottles. Again good, ripe and linear, bit baked, but a good standard (Anteprima 2013). | 2009 22,000 bottles. 14%. Very nice, lovely fluidity (Anteprima 2014). 14%. Bright ruby core with even fade to garnet at the rim. Minor key nose: perfumed, delicate red fruit with mint and cranberry. Clear entry with sweet red fruit and savoury tannins with presence/nice shape and the right structure to play off the fruit. Well balanced, integrated, attractive, and with good length. A non-shouty wine with lots to say at the Consorzio Tues 27th May 2014 with Ian d’Agata and others. | 2010 Crunchy ripe red fruit, balanced savoury tannins not yet melded, but plenty of freshness and fruit (Anteprima 2015). |  2011 Bright, crisp, ripe, well weighted, appetising (Anteprima 2016). | 2012 Very controlled, new oak, vanilla, bit chewy on palate, but fine (Anteprima  2017). | 2014 bright for the year and well-weighted in terms of fruit and tannin, fluid and almost ready to drink if you decant it first, clean and clear with licorice and tobacco notes (Anteprima 2019). | 2015 30,000 bottles

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Vigneti dei Cottimelli

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva, Fuligni: 2001 Bottled. | 2006 Bottled. | 2007 Bottled. 15,000 bottles. Lovely lift and perfume, sweet red cherries, elegant and balanced (Anteprima 2014).

Contact

Production: Località Cottimelli, Strada Provinciale, n.45 Km.8.5

I-53024  Montalcino (SI), Italy

Office: Via Soccorso Saloni, 32

I-53024 Montalcino (SI), Italy

Tel+39 0577.848710 | Website: www.fuligni.it

Sales: Les & Sandeman (UK).