There are stories in the wine world which are fascinating, intriguing, unique in the way they can capture the dreams of lovers of the divine nectar. The story of Maria Flora Fuligni is most certainly one of these.
Maria Flora has celebrated 75 harvests this year, it would have been her platinum anniversary in wedding lingo, and it is exactly that because Maria Flora married the wine and the incredible land it’s produced on, dedicating all her energy and passion to this magnificent world.
The history of the Fuligni Winery has its roots buried in the distant past when the family, originally Venetian, moved to England in the XIV century following King Edward III.
It was only in 1770, with the succession of the Hapsburg Lorraines to the Grand Duchy, Luigi Fuligni came to Tuscany as a General for the new sovereigns. The Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo gave him the concession of a large area in Maremma with the undertaking to reclaim and work the land.
The first Fuligni in Montalcino was Giovanni Maria, agronomist and a great viticulture enthusiast who, after falling in love with this land, abandoned the damp, unhealthy Maremma territory which was badly hit by malaria and in 1923, after the First World War, bought properties there. It was with great foresight that he planted the first Sangiovese vineyards at Montalcino.
After Giovanni Maria Fuligni’s death in 1971 his five daughters and one son were suddenly faced with a huge decision; whether or not to continue to work the family estate, bound by an oppressive sharecropping system which would not have guaranteed a flourishing and secure economic development. This was the moment that the protagonist of the Fuligni Winery entered the scene.
Maria Flora Fuligni, daughter of Giovanni Maria, with her great love of the land which continues to this day, courageously decided to hold on tight to her father’s estate. Maria Flora overcame the immense difficulties she faced with her will to carry on and succeed and her high hopes which could so easily have faded over the long time it took waiting to see the fruits of her labours.
When she became head of the estate Maria Flora developed into a figurehead, a leader of great acumen with a capacity for quick, determined decision making.
Notwithstanding her dedicated commitment to teaching which took up many hours every day, Maria Flora always remained focused on her objective of making the estate successful again, resolutely facing the annoying problem of sharecropping which held back all possibility of growth and the development of any projects.
The estate’s aim became that of balancing production with careful attention to the care and enhancement of the land, without specific marketing or public relations strategies but always moving forward with quiet family management.
Her first Brunello was produced in 1971, followed by the 1973 and ’74 vintages. These were the first challenges overcome which were soon followed, in 1975, by the production of a great wine which definitively established the Fuligni Winery reputation.
When Maria Flora started her career Brunello di Montalcino was relatively unknown outside its territory of origin; its fame grew in the 80’s after an investment boom by external buyers which made Montalcino one of the most famous and sacred red wine production areas in the world. For this we can consider Maria Flora a pioneer in her field who, thanks to her tenacity and faithful daily commitment decided to dedicate her entire life to her vineyards and her wines. Up until the 70’s the estate only produced around 5000 bottles per year, a number which was destined to change with the growth of the estate and the renovation of the owner’s vineyards.
Today the winery follows a traditional wine-making method and Daniela Perino works alongside Maria Flora managing the estate. The medium-long maceration period followed by refinement in large Slovenian oak barrels produces a Sangiovese which is lively, well balanced and with lasting fruits, this is also thanks to one on Italy’s top oenologists: Paolo Vagaggini.
The ‘fil rouge’ so strongly desired and pursued by Maria Flora isn’t missing in either the old or new vintages: every wine is clean, dynamic and very elegant, ultimately respecting the vintage which produced it.
From her first harvests as a child in Maremma, just after the First World War, today Maria Flora can now boast 75 years of harvesting, always with the same ambition, passion and grit which distinguishes her and marks both the good fortunes and beauty of the Fuligni Winery.
The Fuligni 2015 Riserva remains the only perfect wine tasted in 2021, able to both excite and amaze by its elegance, vivacity of fruit and fluidity of both balance and depth.
The following description of the perfect wine has arrived on a very special anniversary, that of 75 years of Maria Flora’s grape harvests:
Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015
Extremely complex on the nose living hints of wet geranium, black tea, juniper berry, cardamom and fondant chocolate in the primary scene. A background of hot asphalt dominates the secondary scene blending very well with notes of cumin, white pepper, cut cedar and orange flower. Full bodied, refined tannins of a slightly raw nature create the main skeleton of this young and dynamic Riserva. It gives an impressively long and exciting finale whilst remaining juicy and fresh. Best from 2022. A perfect wine, a divine wine.
