2022 Fuligni "Ginestreto" Rosso di Montalcino

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Orazio Campoli

Orazio Campoli

K&L Buyer

Review Date: 08/2026

The 2022 Fuligni "Ginestreto" Rosso di Montalcino is a fiercely unmanipulated translation of the Cottimelli estate’s high-elevation, northeast-facing slopes. It opens with an cold-toned aromatic array: dried blood orange peel, crushed slate, wild rosemary, and a distinct ferrous minerality. Ultra-fine, chalky tannins frame the mid-palate with strict precision, keeping the wine focused through the back half. This is a radically structured, terroir-driven benchmark that punches far above its classification and demands serious culinary pairing. This is the definition of Baby Brunello.

Notes

Fuligni was one of the first Brunello that I was introduced to in Montalcino. That was back in an era when tannins were hard and gritty, and elegance was something you only saw after a couple of decades of aging. But, the wines from Fuligni stood out among the many overtly masculine-styled wines, as uniquely balanced, elegant— and dare I say, feminine. Feminine was the word that was—at the time!—used to describe wines that did not have palate-demoralizing tannins. Yet, few wines then had the supple ease and character to warrant interest to enjoy now, but also for long-term aging. Fuligni was, and is, one of those. The Fuligni estate is just outside of Montalcino, on the eastern slope. The vineyards rise from 1,200 feet to almost 1,500 feet, giving a little lift on the fresher side of the hill. I do love the wines of Fuligni. They always have a softer, more ethereal, haunting, and inviting feel to them. They are texturally more complex, and velvety, coupled with a higher-toned, sweeter cherry and plum fruit that seamlessly blend together. (Greg St. Clair, K&L Italian wine buyer)