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Mount Vulture is a dormant volcano in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. Aglianico loves the terroir there, becoming rich and concentrated from its volcanic soils. In 2000, Elena Fucci founded her eponymous winery in the region, using the same vineyards to grow grapes for her wines as her family had used for 40 years.

Her grandfather Generoso bought the vineyards in 1960, growing grapes to sell and keeping just enough to produce wine for the family’s consumption. Elena grew up around the vines and around the family winemaking, and she chose to not only carry on the family business but also take it a step further: making wine to sell. For over 20 years, she has focused on just one grape in her Tenuta, Aglianico. If you’re unfamiliar with the depth of Aglianico or this producer, here’s your chance. 

The Elena Fucci Titolo Aglianico del Vulture Basilicata is her flagship wine, a volcanic masterpiece. It represents the absolute best characteristics of Aglianico from the region, an important trendsetting wine that’s is the reference point for Aglianico from Basilicata. 

Vinous has remarked that “Aglianico del Vulture is potentially one of the world’s—not just Italy’s—greatest wines and no single bottling demonstrates its quality better than the Titolo,” comparing it to a Grand Cru. 

The Aglianico vines at Elena Fucci are between 55 and 65 years old, and the 2018 Titolo that came from those vines was crowned with 100 points by Luca Gardini. Gambero Rosso has awarded Titolo Tre Bicchieri an astounding 15 times. From 2016 to 2020, Wine Enthusiast selected Titolo as one of the 100 Finest Italian Wines. This is a wine that’s becoming increasingly important to Southern Italy if not all of Italy. Drink it now because it’s awesome, and watch this beauty gracefully age through 2035.

Aging: 100% new French oak barriques and matured for 12 months. The wine is fined in the bottle for an additional 6 months before being released to the market.

100% Aglianico. The Titolo is ruby red, with a complex nose of cinnamon, cherry, plum, tobacco, and a whiff of the volcanic soils from which it is grown. Dry. Balanced with a full-body, sturdy tannins, and a fantastic finish. Savory spices, fresh fruits, volcanic wet stone, and rose show on the palate are reminiscent of the depth of flavors one finds in great Barolo. This wine will continue to evolve beautifully in the bottle for 10 to 15 years. 

Now that Elena Fucci's portfolio of wines is becoming more comprehensive (growing from one wine to four with a rosé, an amphorae-aged wine and a second Aglianico called Sceg), she has come to call this wine her "classico" expression. Indeed, the 2021 Aglianico del Vulture Titolo is classic Elena Fucci and is the wine you should buy if you love her signature style. It opens to sweet aromas that come from the velvety ripeness of the fruit but also from careful oak aging. Baked plum, rum cake and dried trial mix with honey granola appear on the bouquet. Titolo finishes very long and is driven by acidic freshness and a grippy quality of tannins that is typical of this grape. In this case, the tannins are not too dry, and there is enough power to drive future bottle evolution. Production is 27,025 bottles. ~94 Wine Advocate

The 2021 Aglianico del Vulture Classico Titolo is impossible to ignore with a classic bouquet that blends tart black fruits and citrus tones with exotic spices, incense and crushed ashen stone. Seamless and silky in feel, this is elegant to the core. Crisp red and black berries cascade across a mix of tactile mineral tones and zesty acidity. It’s only through the finish where its tannins make themselves known, crunchy and edgy, yet somehow perfect freshness is maintained. The 2021 tapers off with licorice and sage nuances. This racy rendition of Titolo impresses on so many levels. ~94 Vinous

 The nose is primarily savory, with aromas of balsamic, mushrooms, earth and stone, but medicinal undertones and a drizzle of black-cherry syrup provide nuance. The palate also skews savory at first, but lingering notes of cherry and herbs eventually take center stage. Aggressive acid hurls spicy punches at the dusty tannins. ~92 Wine Enthusiast

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