An excellent Montalcino estate, and it has been a while since we have offered anything from Fuligni, but the 2016 Riserva is just too spectacular to pass up. This estate makes up 100 hectares of land that flows in a continuous strip, with 14 hectares dedicated to vines lying at about 1,000 feet above sea level. The wines of Fuligni are under the guidance and experience of Paolo Vagaggini, who is considered one of the top experts on Sangiovese in Tuscany, a relationship cultivated between the two families in the 60s. The 2016 Riserva is one of the best of all time from Fuligni and is an incredible, world-class Sangiovese on par with the brilliant 2015. Only made in the best vintages, the Riserva is sourced from the oldest and best vineyards, displaying peak Brunello expression as one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. This is easily one of the top buys for Brunello Riserva in 2016 and should prove to be one of the standout Riservas in 2016. We have incredible pricing on top effort from Fuligni, and it is not a Brunello to miss this vintage.
James Suckling 99 points! "The complexity and beauty of this wine is something else on the nose, offering perfume, cedar, dried flower, black cherry, blueberry and crushed stone. Orange peel, too. Full-bodied with incredible layers of ultra-fine tannins that give this wine horizontal depth that almost seems endless. Extremely long and lightly chewy at the end. This is one for the cellar. Try after 2026."
Vinous (Eric Guido) 98+ points! "The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva seduces the senses as it mixes savory and sweet, the dusty rose and crushed stone aromas giving way to wild strawberry and dried cherry. A velvety textural wave saturates the palate with salty minerals and tart raspberry fruits, lifted by stunning acidity and cooling herbal tones that create a cascading feel to the crunchy red fruits. While structured and dry, it"s also incredibly long, crystalline in nature, and lingers on notes of salted licorice and savory spice. This shows all of the best qualities of the vintage, expertly matched to the classic stylings of Fuligni. That said, the 2016 is a sleeping giant, in need of cellaring to show its best. Deciding between this and the estate Brunello from 2016 is like splitting hairs, but what I can say is that the Riserva has the potential for a longer life and possibly a higher score when at full maturity."
Decanter 98 points! "Fuligni’s Riserva is born in the San Giovanni vineyard at Podere Cottimelli, the estate’s original site. It is a selection of the best bunches from vines averaging 50 years of age. The 2016 is currently a brooding beast, but a remarkably handsome one at close glance. It starts with polished leather and walnut skin before disclosing hints of lavender, anise and freshly turned earth. The structure is even denser and drier than the annata, but the fruit is also sweeter and more concentrated. Finely chiselled tannins wrap around black cherry and red plum, and with an intense mineral drive this is fully charged. It will take a few more years, however, to lay bare all of its lurking intricacies."
Wine Advocate (Monica Larner) 97+ points! "Here's one of the show-stoppers in this report. The Fuligni 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a layered and important wine with deep renderings of wild berry, ripe fruit, oak spice, pressed flowers and garden herbs. This Brunello lives up to its Riserva designation with extra textural richness, more oak definition, structure and a bigger, longer-lasting aromatic profile. The wine closes with hints of cola, rosemary and wild rose."
2016 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
2016 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
$119.99
$119.99
An excellent Montalcino estate, and it has been a while since we have offered anything from Fuligni, but the 2016 Riserva is just too spectacular to pass up. This estate makes up 100 hectares of land that flows in a continuous strip, with 14 hectares dedicated to vines lying at about 1,000 feet above sea level. The wines of Fuligni are under the guidance and experience of Paolo Vagaggini, who is considered one of the top experts on Sangiovese in Tuscany, a relationship cultivated between the two families in the 60s. The 2016 Riserva is one of the best of all time from Fuligni and is an incredible, world-class Sangiovese on par with the brilliant 2015. Only made in the best vintages, the Riserva is sourced from the oldest and best vineyards, displaying peak Brunello expression as one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. This is easily one of the top buys for Brunello Riserva in 2016 and should prove to be one of the standout Riservas in 2016. We have incredible pricing on top effort from Fuligni, and it is not a Brunello to miss this vintage.
James Suckling 99 points! "The complexity and beauty of this wine is something else on the nose, offering perfume, cedar, dried flower, black cherry, blueberry and crushed stone. Orange peel, too. Full-bodied with incredible layers of ultra-fine tannins that give this wine horizontal depth that almost seems endless. Extremely long and lightly chewy at the end. This is one for the cellar. Try after 2026."
Vinous (Eric Guido) 98+ points! "The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva seduces the senses as it mixes savory and sweet, the dusty rose and crushed stone aromas giving way to wild strawberry and dried cherry. A velvety textural wave saturates the palate with salty minerals and tart raspberry fruits, lifted by stunning acidity and cooling herbal tones that create a cascading feel to the crunchy red fruits. While structured and dry, it"s also incredibly long, crystalline in nature, and lingers on notes of salted licorice and savory spice. This shows all of the best qualities of the vintage, expertly matched to the classic stylings of Fuligni. That said, the 2016 is a sleeping giant, in need of cellaring to show its best. Deciding between this and the estate Brunello from 2016 is like splitting hairs, but what I can say is that the Riserva has the potential for a longer life and possibly a higher score when at full maturity."
Decanter 98 points! "Fuligni’s Riserva is born in the San Giovanni vineyard at Podere Cottimelli, the estate’s original site. It is a selection of the best bunches from vines averaging 50 years of age. The 2016 is currently a brooding beast, but a remarkably handsome one at close glance. It starts with polished leather and walnut skin before disclosing hints of lavender, anise and freshly turned earth. The structure is even denser and drier than the annata, but the fruit is also sweeter and more concentrated. Finely chiselled tannins wrap around black cherry and red plum, and with an intense mineral drive this is fully charged. It will take a few more years, however, to lay bare all of its lurking intricacies."
Wine Advocate (Monica Larner) 97+ points! "Here's one of the show-stoppers in this report. The Fuligni 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a layered and important wine with deep renderings of wild berry, ripe fruit, oak spice, pressed flowers and garden herbs. This Brunello lives up to its Riserva designation with extra textural richness, more oak definition, structure and a bigger, longer-lasting aromatic profile. The wine closes with hints of cola, rosemary and wild rose."
