2003, Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino

The Producer

Fuligini’s history in Brunello wine production began in 1923, when Giovanni Maria Fuligni purchased an ex-convent as well as the land which the Fuligni estate stands on today from Gontrano Biondi Santi. At the time Giovanni also purchased an 18th century palazzo in the town of Montalcino which is the site of Fuligni’s original aging cellars. Around this time, the family had begun producing wine, but only for personal consumption. In 1971 Giovanni passed away, and his daughter, Maria Flora Fuligni, a schoolteacher with a doctorate in philosophy, took over the estate, and began bottling Brunello for commercial sale in 1975.

Today, Fuligni owns approximately 100 hectares of land, 14 of which are under vine (the remainder is dedicated to olive trees, wheat, as well as other crops to preserve the area’s biodiversity). To this day, the estate is still owned and manged by Dr. Maria Flora Fuligni, along with the help of her nephew Roberto Guerrini Fuligni. Maria and Roberto are assisted by famed enologist Dr. Paolo Vagaggini, who’s considered to be one of the one of the most knowledgeable people there is on Sangiovese, and the production of Brunello di Montalcino. Prior to Paolo, his father Francesco had consulted for Fuligni for decades beginning in the 1960s, and today Paolo’s son Dr. Jacopo Vagaggini, a graduate of Oxford, has begun working with his father. In addition to the Vagaggini’s, the Fuligni’s also have the assistance of Dr. Simone Bacconi who manages their vineyards, along with agronomist Federico Ricci.

Fuligini is arguably one of the most well respected Brunello producing estates. Committed to producing wines of only the highest quality, Fuligni has been known to declassify an entire vintage of Brunello if conditions weren’t right, in order to maintain the high standards of their wines which proudly display the Brunello di Montalcino label.

For more information on this incredible producer, be sure to visit Fuligni’s website by clicking here.

Technical Info

Location: Montalcino, Province of Siena, Italy Altitude: 380 to 450 meters above sea level Sun Exposure: East and southeast Varietal Composition: 100% Sangiovese Vine Age: 15 years old on average Harvest: By hand Vinification: Vinified in stainless steel vats of a maximum of sixty hectoliters, which are kept in a temperature-controlled vat cellar a few meters from the vineyards. After fermentation, the grapes linger on the skins for some time before malolactic transformation starts. About one quarter of the future Brunello is refined in five-hectoliter Allier tonneaux, which allow anthocyanins to settle, whereas the rest is refined in traditional Slavonian oak barrels of 20 to 30 hectoliters. The barrels are meticulously made by long-standing artisan companies and some of them are kept in the old cellar below the 16th century Medicean Palazzo, still the residence of the Fuligni family. Aging: As per regulation, vintage Brunello has to be refined for four years (Brunello regular), whereas the riserva Brunello needs to be refined for five years (Brunello riserva). Refinement in wood is followed by refinement in stainless steel and then in bottles for approximately eight months.

Technical info provided courtesy of Fuligni’s Website.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Brick red

Aromas: Baking spices, crushed cherries, brown sugar, raw walnuts, licorice, tomatoes, wet earth, and dried cherries.

Palate: Flavors of tart cherry juice, walnuts, and licorice. A silky smooth mouthfeel with excellent balance. Tannins are super fine, and are beautifully integrated.

Notes: Although the best examples of Brunello di Montalcino are extremely enjoyable in their youth, they begin to really deliver after they’ve had some time to rest in bottle. Of course, it isn’t enough to just tuck away a bottle a way under your bed, or throw it into the back of a closet and forget about it for a few years. In order to properly cellar a wine, it needs to be stored in a temperature controlled environment. This is one of the main reasons that we love our new Whynter BWR-308SB Wine Refrigerator so much. Luckily this bottle of 2003 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino was stored in a temperature controlled environment since day one, had it not been, this bottle wouldn’t have been drinking nearly as well as it was today. Now that we have our Whynter Wine Refrigerator, we look forward to putting away some of our favorite examples of Brunello di Montalcino as well as other age worthy wines for a later date, so that we can enjoy some now, and so that we can see how they evolve over the coming years.