Fuligni Winery

Fuligni was founded in 1923 in the province of Siena. Today the winery is owned by Roberto Fuligni and the winemaker is Paolo Vagaggini. Fuligni currently has 30-32 acres under vine. The Fuligni range is a complete cross-section of Montalcino offerings, Rosso, Brunello, Super Tuscan, and yearly production goes from an average of 50,000-60,000 bottles.

Points of Differentiation

• Fuligni’s Brunellos bridge the gap between classic and modern style Brunello
• Low yields in the vineyard
• Nearly a century of expertise in winemaking
• A benchmark Brunello winery
• Classic Tuscan galestro soil

The History

Fuligni was founded in 1923 by the Viscounts Fuligni, an ancient Venetian family who moved to Tuscany around 1770. The present owner is the exquisite Maria Flora Fuligni, who works side by side with nephew Roberto Guerrini Fuligni, enologist Paolo Vagaggini and agronomist Federico Ricci, in charge of vineyard management.

For Fuligni, terroir is the essence of great wines as well as the cultural legacy of generations of winegrowers who work a piece of land to capture its best exposures and to perfect cultivation and aging techniques. Everything from vineyard management to grape selection focuses on showcasing the land.

The grapes are vinified separately according to cru, in a classically inspired international style characterized by a strong backbone of acidity and smooth, polished tannins. The Fuligni range is a complete cross-section of Montalcino offerings, Rosso, Brunello, and Super Tuscan. The yearly production averages between 50,000-60,000 bottles.

All of Fuligni’s wines are consistently judged among Tuscany’s finest. The wines are aged in a restored convent, which was transformed into a barrique cellar, tasting rooms and guest quarters. The former convent’s cool, cloistered tranquility supplies ideal conditions for their élevage.

The Terroir

The property covers approximately 247 acres east of Montalcino, historically the home to the most classic of Brunellos. The surface comprises almost 30-32 acres under vine, principally located at I Cottimelli. Most of these acres are devoted to Montalcino’s own Sangiovese while the rest is planted with Merlot, which complements the SJ blend.

The older vineyards are 1,250-1,480 feet above sea level, mainly easterly and southeasterly exposed on stony/clayey, hillside “galestro” marls. The soil is low in organic components which are more conducive to minuscule yields.

The most recent vineyards have been planted southeast on tuffaceous-clayey soil. Crops are further reduced due to the vines’ age (12 to 30-plus years), their density, severe pruning, and green harvest. The recently added vineyards are even more densely planted, 10 to 12 years old and at a slightly lower altitude of 985 feet on predominantly clayey terrain better suited to Merlot.