2019 Brunello di Montalcino

The ruby/garnet 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino has a very appealing nose with notes of candied cherries, orange peel, anise, white pepper, and dried roses. Savory and snappy, this medium-bodied Brunello is not lacking for structure and has wonderful energy propelling the wine forward on the palate, angular ripe tannins, and a surge of mineral lift. It’s a gorgeous, classic Brunello that should have plenty of longevity. Drink 2026-2040. One of the great historic families in Italy, the Fuglini lineage originated in Venice, but Luigi Fuligni moved to Tuscany in the 1770s to become a general of the Grand Duchy and later inherited significant holdings in Maremma. At that time, the coastal region of Maremma was a swamp and a risk for malaria (it was later drained and became the wine region it is today), so following the first World War, when Giovanni Maria Fuligni was left with the family property in Scansano, a town within Maremma, he instead looked to Montalcino, which was on higher ground and had a more continental climate. It was there he founded the Fuligni estate in 1923. With his passing in 1971, his daughter Maria Flora Fuligni took over the estate, expanding the winery to international acclaim. Today, the estate is owned by Roberto Fuligni, the nephew of Maria Flora and grandson of Giovanni. In addition to his custodial responsibilities at the estate, Roberto is also a criminal law professor in Siena.

With dark fruit balanced out by savory notes of tobacco leaf or cigar ash, the Fuligni 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is rich and beautifully concentrated. In little time, the bouquet reveals a floral interlude with dried rose petal and a tropical note of hibiscus. This wine shows a lot of angles, all very pleasant, that work together. The tannins are dusty and finely textured with a hint of powdery cocoa to close. Production is 33,000 bottles.

Dusty and floral, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a perfumed blend of dried roses, cherries, mint and lavender candies. It’s elegant and seamlessly silky on the palate, enveloping the senses with ripe red berry fruits contrasted by a bitter clove tinge. A core of brisk acidity maintains a lovely balance as a web of fine tannins saturates the palate, and a pleasantly chewy sensation remains. The 2019 is classic to the core.