Elena Fucci
Elena Fucci Titolo by Amphora
DOC Aglianico del Vulture
100% Aglianico
14
Organic
Tasting Notes
Minerality, acidity, and tannins are the principal features of this wine. White peppers and smoke leads to sandalwood and herb-infused flavors of raspberry jam. A long finish promoted by volcanic soils and high altitude, Aglianico vineyards offers the most complex varietal example from the region.
Cultivation
Positioned at the foot of Mount Vulture (an ancient extinct volcano), the vineyard is in the heart of production from the Aglianico del Vulture area. Manually harvested with small crates the last week of October and is normally one of the latest harvests in Italy.
Vinification
The Aglianico is de-stemmed and the whole grape goes into the Amphora for the alcoholic fermentation with a controlled temperature (maximum temperature controlled to 20-22° C). Then when the alcoholic fermentation is finished, we proceed with a soft pressure and the wine comes back in the amphora for the malolactic fermentation and the aging.
Aging
Malolactic fermentation takes place in the Amphora for 18 months. The wine is aged in the bottle for an additional 12 months before being released to the market.
The Fucci family has lived on their estate in Basilicata since 1960, when Elena’s grandfather bought six hectares of vineyards at the highest part Contrada Solagna of Titolo, at the foot of Mount Vulture (an extinct volcano). Her grandfather and father tended the vines and sold the harvest as bulk grapes, only vinifying a small portion for personal consumption.
It wasn’t until the 2000 vintage that the full potential of the domain’s 70-year-old Aglianico vines was properly explored. The family was going through the process of selling the estate when Elena made the last-minute decision to take on the property herself, with the intention of developing the vineyard and devoting herself to the land that she grew up loving so dearly. 2000 was the first proper vintage at Elena Fucci, harvested and vinified while Elena was still completing her studies in Viticulture and Enology.
She knew from the beginning that they wanted to devote themselves to producing a singular wine, reflective of their unique terroir. Simply walking through the vineyard rows at Elena Fucci is a fascinating history lesson; the terrain is volcanic, the soil is mineral, dark in color, and pozzolanic, which clearly catalogues in its layers the history and life of the Vulture volcano, visible just a few hundred meters away. The eruptive phases composed of lava flows, lapilli and ash, interspersed with periods of stasis, composed of layers of clay, are all visible in the land, which translates to a fascinating wine in the glass.
* Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wineries of 2022