BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
2016 Fuligni
The Fuligni family moved from Maremma to Montalcino early in the 20th century, establishing the estate in 1923. Maria Flora has been at the helm since 1971, with her nephew Roberto managing most of the operations today. This historic property has released one of the most exquisite wines of 2016. Revealing its complexities gradually, it unfolds with a smoky flintiness, balsamic nuances and Mediterranean herbs. Seemingly endless in layers and depth, there is generosity but it never weighs the palate down. Powerful, sophisticated tannins are finely powdered, and piercing acidity radiates throughout. Hints of liquorice, violet, blood orange and iron eventually emerge. Lengthy and effortlessly commanding. Drinking range: 2024 - 2042 Rating: 99 Michaela Morris, Decanter (Apr 2021)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
A core of cherry and kirsch marks this vivid, linear red, packing strawberry, floral, sanguine, iron and tobacco notes into a slim frame. Balanced and structured, ends with a lingering impression of ripe fruit and savory elements. Best from 2024 through 2045. Drinking range: 2024 - 2045 Rating: 95 Bruce Sanderson, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2021)
Healthy mid ruby. Closed, brooding with cherry and cranberry with minerally notes. Iron with a suggestion of orange skin and oak. Embryonic, poised cherry and raspberry palate but with real concentration and with a long vein of acidity running through it. Very long and transparent, with finely-chiselled, long tannins and amazing depth. Drinking range: 2024 - 2038 Rating: 18 Walter Speller, www.jancisrobinson.com (Mar 2021)
The Fuligni 2016 Brunello di Montalcino shows balance and symmetry with plenty of primary intensity to ensure a long cellar life. The bouquet opens to dark plum, dried raspberry, spice, aniseed and grilled herb. I get a lot of Mediterranean lavender and rosemary essence. This is a mid-weight Brunello with aromas that prove elegant and buoyant. If you have visited the Fuligni estate, you may agree that it occupies one of the best positions in the appellation with open views onto the enormous expanse of the Val d'Orcia that plays out until the horizon ends. This is one of Montalcino's historic cellars with many stories to tell. Luckily for us, much of that narrative unfolds in the beauty and the elegance of a wine like this. Drinking range: 2024 - 2045 Rating: 95 Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate (www.robertparker.com) (Dec 2020)
Dark, inward and intense, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a towering effort that will thrill collectors for many years to come. It arrives in waves, first black fruits evolving to red, then sage and earthy minerals, followed by brown spice and, finally, hints of tobacco. Youthfully dense, velvety and in no hurry to unfurl the complex web of fruit, minerals and tannins found within, this instead leaves you guessing at what’s to come. That said, there’s perfect symmetry here, along with the combination of structure and primary intensity to guarantee many years of positive maturation. Hints of licorice, currant and baker’s chocolate linger long. This is simply gorgeous. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 98 Eric Guido, www.vinous.com (Nov 2020)
Aromas of cedar, sandalwood and black cherries with some plums. Full-bodied and very chewy with lots of tannins and a fluid fruit base behind it all, providing such beauty and precision. Real purity and focus. Give this two or three years to come together. Try after 2022, but this has a long life ahead. Drinking range: 2022 - Rating: 97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Nov 2020)
Fuligni
Founded in 1923 by Giovanni Fuligni, the estate today is co-owned by Robert Guerrini Fuligni and his delightful aunt Maria Flora Fuligni. Together with his aunt, Roberto makes the wines with oenologist Paolo Vagaggini and his son Jacopo, while agronomist Federico Ricci looks after the vineyards.
The estate covers 100 hectares, of which 25 are under vine, almost all planted with Sangiovese, with a small amount of Merlot for the IGT blend. 4 plots, Semiti, San Giovanni, Ginestreto and Cotimeli produce Sangiovese for the Brunelli and Rosso and each vineyard is kept separate during fermentation. What is important is the combined height of the vineyards (350-440m), the density of planting, age of the vines (12-30 plus) and the 'galestro' soils on which they are planted. Fuligni's wines have reached international recognition for their purity of expression, strong backbone of acidity and polished tannins.
These are simply the finest wines of Brunello, epitomising all that is great from the region. The 'Rosso' now comes from a defined part of the vineyard, on clay and tufa rather than the marl of the Brunello. It is made from the outset as a Rosso, with different clones and the intention to make a wine which will be approachable at a much younger age.
ORDERING VIA OUR WEBSITE:
- Click on the 'ORDER' button to add cases to your Wishlist order form. The Wishlist appears in both the sidebar and header (separately from the main basket).
- You can view and edit your Wishlist at any time before submitting the order form.
- Submit your Wishlist order form with your details and please indicate any special requirements in the notes, including whether you would like the wines duty paid.
- We will respond as quickly as possible with confirmation of your order and your invoice.
Please note that certain wines are on very tight allocations and will first be offered to customers who buy across the range. If you have any queries, please email our primeurs team or speak to your usual L&S contact.
ORDERING VIA EMAIL:
Please feel free to email us your Wishlist at any time. This list can include wines listed as available on the website, as well as those marked 'To Be Advised'. We will reply as soon as possible with confirmation of what we can offer.
STORAGE OPTIONS:
Wines bought en primeur are scheduled to arrive in the UK over the course of the next eighteen months. If you do not wish to take home delivery, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our primeurs team for more information.
While helpful, we do not require a firm commitment on delivery destination to process your primeur order at this stage. Our team will be in contact with you when your wines arrive in the UK to confirm the necessary delivery details.
2023 LATEST ITALIAN RELEASES OFFER FAQ
OFFER: All wines are offered subject to availability and final confirmation.
PRICING: All prices are quoted IN BOND ex-VAT, by the case size stated. Please double check that the desired case size does match what is being offered as wines are variously listed in threes, sixes, dozens, halves and larger formats.
DELIVERY - TIMING: This is a primeur offer so the wines are not yet physically available for delivery. They will be shipped to the UK over the next eighteen months. Generally wines are shipped to your nominated location once the whole order has landed in our London City Bond account. If you require wines to be delivered by a certain date, please advise us at the time of ordering.
DELIVERY - FEES: In bond delivery to an Elephant Storage account (for more information see 'Storage Options' opposite) is free of charge. Transfer of wines to any third party bond (i.e. not Elephant Storage) will incur an administration charge of £16.50 + VAT for all orders under £500. If you require wines duty paid, please indicate this in your Wishlist order form. A duty & VAT invoice will be raised once all the wines on your order are available for shipment. Once the relevant duty & VAT has been settled, we will ship the wines to your nominated address as per our normal duty paid Delivery Terms.
PAYMENT: All orders will be invoiced for immediate payment by cheque, cash, debit card or cleared funds to our account. We regret that we cannot accept credit cards for primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.