Titolo Riserva: 'A new benchmark wine for southern Italy'

18 Jan 2018

Elena Fucci: a fierce defender of terroir and history

'Another great vintage from Elena Fucci, the ascending star of a rising wine region' - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

Basilicata is an almost unknown region from the south of Italy, itself defended by an inhospitable looking Vulcan landscape. It is an agricultural area and though small spans the country with connection to both Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. Its charms are understated to say the least and for us the stand out star is the DOCG region of Aglianico del Vulture. It is an area of high altitude (600 mts in this case) and undisturbed vines. And unlike Taurasi up the road in Campania it has to be a single varietal wine; it is all Aglianico. So here you get the ultimate combination of volcano and the grape variety that has spent centuries adapting to the landscape.

Fucci comes from a family which decided to sell its vineyard land as they didn't really have interest in winegrowing - it was at best a fringe activity. This decision was the motivation that Elena needed. She knew that the six hectares of vineyard were well sited, full of 60-70 year old Aglianico vines and she knew their potential. She took herself off to learn the necessary skills in order to make the best possible wines. 2000 was Elena's first vintage and she hasn't looked back. Recent vertical tastings of her wines have seen her showered with praise and her track record is firmly established. Elena's determination to keep those vineyards in family hands is utterly vindicated.

Aglianico del Vulture is arguably Italy's finest unknown wine and the Fucci Titolo is at the top of the pile in quality. We've got the most recent vintage of Titolo and (in magnum only) the 2013 Riserva, the first ever vintage of this wine. It is somewhat limited - there were only 400 made and some of those have already been opened. /CW

Offered subject to remaining unsold; available late spring 2018