Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2020

Eredi Fuligni | Tuscany
Az. Agr. Eredi Fuligni | Via Soccorso Saloni 33 | IT 53024 Montalcino

09512220 · 0,75 l · 198,67 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

Riserva is not an automatic process at Fuligni. It is created when a vintage deserves it – and when the estate's oldest vineyards have produced something that is more than Brunello. More than good. 1972, 1976, 2002: vintages in which Fuligni simply did not bring any Brunello onto the market because the quality was not right. This consistency is rare, because you have to be able and willing to afford it. It is also the foundation on which a Riserva acquires its very special meaning. 2020 was not an easy year. Warm, dry, early ripening – a vintage that many producers dismissed as too lush, too soft. Fuligni saw it differently. The north-east-facing sites in Cottimelli, between 380 and 450 metres, on Galestro – stony, cool, with natural acidity even in hot years – dampened the heat and preserved the freshness. What was a challenge in flatter, warmer sites resulted in concentrated, healthy grapes with depth and surprising elegance. The oldest vines on the estate, over forty years old, with reduced yields and highly concentrated juice, provided the material for the selection.

Paolo Vagaggini, whose family has been involved in the Fuligni winery since the 1960s, decided on Riserva. Fermentation in stainless steel, mash contact after fermentation – a quarter of the wine in 5-hectolitre Allier tonneau, three quarters in large Slavonian barrels of 20 to 30 hectolitres. Aged in wood for three and a half years, then bottled. Five years total ageing time, as prescribed by the DOCG. Matured in the cellars of the Palazzo – under the 17th century Medici building, in vaults that are even older than the house above.

Deep ruby-garnet colour with a brightening rim. The nose is dense and multi-layered: dried cherry, plum jam, cedar wood, tobacco, a fine balsamic flavour like old leather and mountain herbs. Full-bodied on the palate, with a silky tannin structure that maintains a rare balance between power and accessibility. The final is long, mineral, with a spicy aftertaste. A Riserva that doesn't wait until you understand it – and still has decades ahead of it. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva blends masses of dried black cherries with dusty cedar spice box, hints of tobacco, worn leather and mint. It feels seamless, with silky depths of ripe red berry fruit, while crisp mineral tones and a hint of citrus build tension towards the finish. Pickling, chewy and long, the 2020 reveals its heroic structure, while nuances of blood orange create a beautiful punctuation under a hint of rosy inner flowers." Vinous

"The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva shows sweet fruit, soft tannins and a medium to full structure, with a profile that is more open and approachable than usual for this category. Although already generous and full-bodied, the wine should be able to withstand further ageing in the cellar thanks to its balance and underlying structure, a hallmark of Fuligni's traditional Riserva wines." Vinous

"It is clearly in its youthful phase and currently exudes dark red cherry and pomegranate, underscored by sweet spice and an exotic hint of mahogany oil. Grenadine and candied violets permeate the palate. The tannins are taut and refined and underpin the weighty core. The wine is on the verge of tipping the scales, while the fresh acidity drives it effortlessly." Decanter

"This is an outstanding wine with a lot of complexity. Classic aromas of liquorice, crushed stones, red cherries, wild strawberries, smoke, forest and earth. Full-bodied, juicy, velvety and dense, with a long, spicy finish." James Suckling