Fact Sheet

[FOO-LEE-KNEE]

Location: Montalcino, Province of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.

All labels bear the lion of St. Marco in honor of the Fulignis’ Venetian origins. The family, however, has long been thoroughly Tuscan, founding the winery in 1923 around a Medici villa and a tiny country convent of the Renaissance. Maria Flora Fuligni and nephew Roberto Guerrini Fuligni have just restored the latter to its original condition, transforming it into the present cellar, tasting rooms and guest quarters. Its cool, cloistered tranquillity supplies ideal aging conditions for these elegantly structured reds, orchestrated by Maria Flora, oenologist Paolo Vagaggini, and agronomist Federico Ricci. Besides this restoration work, the winery has seen further expansion of the vineyards (now 25 productive acres out of the total 247).

he older vines are 1,150 to 1,445 feet above sea level, mainly easterly exposed on stony/clayey, hillside “galestro” marls. The soil is low in organic components — therefore conducive to minuscule yields. Crops are further cut back by the vines’ age (12-30 years), their density, severe pruning and green harvest. The newly added vineyards are even more densely planted, 10 to 12 years old and at a slightly lower altitude of 985 feet, on mix clay and tufo terrain. The grapes are vinified separately according to cru, in a classically inspired international style. Most of the Fuligni vineyards, 25 out of 27, are devoted to Montalcino’s own Sangiovese, and the rest are planted with Merlot, which complements the Sangiovese grape in the estate’s own Super Tuscan, the SJ blend. As for the classic Montalcino wines, they consist of a remarkably full bodied, soft, complex and opulent Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (only in the best years), a very elegant and complex Brunello di Montalcino, and the delectable Rosso di Montalcino “Ginestreto."

In recent years, Maria Flora and Roberto, have implemented a profound changes in the winery’s quality criteria: drastically reduced crops and even stricter selection of the grapes have maximized this superb terroir’s potential. High standards in the winery match those in the vineyard. Fermentation takes place under the severest temperature and quality control, followed by skin maceration for 15-20 days. The hallmark of Fuligni Brunello and Rosso (the latter, from the rocky and rewarding cru of Ginestreto) is their great complexity.