Conti Costanti & Fuligni Brunello 2018
For Brunello fans who love fragrant wines with energy, elegance and balance, you are going to love the soon-to-be-released 2018s. I haven’t been this excited by a recent vintage since the classic 2013s were released five years ago. And the best part is that thanks to improvements in vineyard management and cellar practices, many of the 2018s are already approachable but the best also promise years of pleasure and evolution...
Luminous and radiant, the 2018s beautifully reflect their individual terroirs, offering a transparency that the burly, warm 2017s and 2015s lack. With the exception of the top 25 or so producers, even many of the 2016 Brunellos, from what in terms of climate was a far superior vintage to 2018, don’t reflect their unique terroirs to the extent that the 2018s do across the denomination. KERIN O'KEEFE
The best of the 2018s offer transparency and refinement, with fresh, vibrant, red-fruited profiles, wonderful mineral textures, and fine-grained tannins that are approachable in their youth. They also excel in their aromatic perfume, highlighting the potential of Sangiovese in these increasingly rare cooler vintages. AUDREY FRICKE, www.jebdunnuck.com
On Fuligni
In my opinion, the Brunello produced at this address are some of the classiest, most refined and long-aging wines being made in Montalcino today. They are extremely difficult to read in their youth, with a depth of fruit and minerality that is tightly clenched by a wall of tannin. In fact, it isn’t rare that I’ll check in on a bottle over the course of a few days to get a good read on it. However, as they mature and mellow, they transform into models of elegance and almost-sensual appeal. ERIC GUIDO
On Conti Costanti:
Just a short drive down the southern hill from the town of Montalcino, you’ll find the Costanti winery, where Andrea Costanti continues to produce some of the most deeply seductive, yet truly classic expressions of Brunello from vintage to vintage. ERIC GUIDO
So begins a run of stellar vintages from Montalcino. 2018, 2019 and 2021 are all excellent-to-great vintages. I was looking back over my general vintage notes from my visits last year and the 2018 has been characterised by beautiful delineation of flavours and aromatics. The wines I saw are not hugely dense nor alcoholic and they're way better for it, instead the best attributes of the variety and of the individual terroirs are front-and-centre. There's lovely balance and they will drink within 10 years but hold for another 5 at least. I have to say, this is my kind of vintage. That inner balance, aromatic purity and ripe-not-very-ripe aspect is compelling and the reason I love sangiovese and this clone in particular.
As ever, we start our offers with the wines of Conti Costanti and Eredi Fuligni. Now elder statesmen of the region, Roberto Guerrini and Andrea Costanti seems to be entering a purple patch in their winemaking, with recent vintages being some of the best of their careers. Considering, the weather has bowled up a few curly ones for the producers of the region, their wines keep shining, once again proving the old wine maxim, producer, producer producer, holding more resonance ever.
Significantly, both producers were part of the original 23 properties that created the Brunello di Montalcino Consorzio in the 1960s. That 23 has now grown to over 250, but it's within the ranks of the original member estates you will still find many of Montalcinos greatest - not all - but certainly many of them. Why is it so? Most importantly for me, is that via their excellent positions on the hill, older vine age, different clonal materials and what I would describe as their own sense of perspective of what makes Brunello unique; how it should taste, how tannins should sit in the wine, understanding aromatic profiles that scream Brunello over say, Chianti Classico Riserva, they do have a better grasp of the genre. Drawing on this historical back catalogue of experience their wines are often the most interesting and unique. Well, it's my theory anyway and that's why my safe place is to start with producers like these guys.
And now a refresher on the relative styles of the two producers:
Costanti are a traditional producer and still stick to the original framework laid down by the Consorzio for the production of Brunello all those years ago (altered some years ago). Most significantly is the use Slavonian large format wood for a 3-year elevage. The resulting wines are about cherry and strawberry fruit nuanced heavily by tobacco, dried herb, balsam and wafting florals. In great vintages the fruit is all important here as the underlying core offsets the more savoury aspects with a freshness and vigour.
In Fuligni you have a style which is notionally modern picking up some of the relaxed laws around oak type, size and time spent therein. Whilst a portion is always aged in larger format Slovanian oak, part is also aged in tonneaux (smaller French oak) and the aging in wood finishes after 2 years to retain more freshness in the finished wines. While the style is not markedly different in many ways to Costanti - after all we're talking about the same grape and estates within a couple of km’s of each other - there is a plushness and immediacy in the style here.
I'm often asked the question of which of these two producers I prefer. To be honest I find it impossible to answer. They both produce such great wines and the scouts-honour truth is, I always buy both for my own cellar. They rarely let me down - although I'd love to see them stop using corks but I could say that for a stack of Euro producers - and when they get a good vintage in the vineyard they never don't take full advantage. In 2018 you should do the same.
PLEASE NOTE, I HAVE LESS WINE THAN EVER BEFORE AND THE SHIPMENT WILL BE SPLIT IN TWO - SOME HERE NOW AND SOME IN JUNE.
Luminous and radiant, the 2018s beautifully reflect their individual terroirs, offering a transparency that the burly, warm 2017s and 2015s lack. With the exception of the top 25 or so producers, even many of the 2016 Brunellos, from what in terms of climate was a far superior vintage to 2018, don’t reflect their unique terroirs to the extent that the 2018s do across the denomination. KERIN O'KEEFE
The best of the 2018s offer transparency and refinement, with fresh, vibrant, red-fruited profiles, wonderful mineral textures, and fine-grained tannins that are approachable in their youth. They also excel in their aromatic perfume, highlighting the potential of Sangiovese in these increasingly rare cooler vintages. AUDREY FRICKE, www.jebdunnuck.com
On Fuligni
In my opinion, the Brunello produced at this address are some of the classiest, most refined and long-aging wines being made in Montalcino today. They are extremely difficult to read in their youth, with a depth of fruit and minerality that is tightly clenched by a wall of tannin. In fact, it isn’t rare that I’ll check in on a bottle over the course of a few days to get a good read on it. However, as they mature and mellow, they transform into models of elegance and almost-sensual appeal. ERIC GUIDO
On Conti Costanti:
Just a short drive down the southern hill from the town of Montalcino, you’ll find the Costanti winery, where Andrea Costanti continues to produce some of the most deeply seductive, yet truly classic expressions of Brunello from vintage to vintage. ERIC GUIDO
So begins a run of stellar vintages from Montalcino. 2018, 2019 and 2021 are all excellent-to-great vintages. I was looking back over my general vintage notes from my visits last year and the 2018 has been characterised by beautiful delineation of flavours and aromatics. The wines I saw are not hugely dense nor alcoholic and they're way better for it, instead the best attributes of the variety and of the individual terroirs are front-and-centre. There's lovely balance and they will drink within 10 years but hold for another 5 at least. I have to say, this is my kind of vintage. That inner balance, aromatic purity and ripe-not-very-ripe aspect is compelling and the reason I love sangiovese and this clone in particular.
As ever, we start our offers with the wines of Conti Costanti and Eredi Fuligni. Now elder statesmen of the region, Roberto Guerrini and Andrea Costanti seems to be entering a purple patch in their winemaking, with recent vintages being some of the best of their careers. Considering, the weather has bowled up a few curly ones for the producers of the region, their wines keep shining, once again proving the old wine maxim, producer, producer producer, holding more resonance ever.
Significantly, both producers were part of the original 23 properties that created the Brunello di Montalcino Consorzio in the 1960s. That 23 has now grown to over 250, but it's within the ranks of the original member estates you will still find many of Montalcinos greatest - not all - but certainly many of them. Why is it so? Most importantly for me, is that via their excellent positions on the hill, older vine age, different clonal materials and what I would describe as their own sense of perspective of what makes Brunello unique; how it should taste, how tannins should sit in the wine, understanding aromatic profiles that scream Brunello over say, Chianti Classico Riserva, they do have a better grasp of the genre. Drawing on this historical back catalogue of experience their wines are often the most interesting and unique. Well, it's my theory anyway and that's why my safe place is to start with producers like these guys.
And now a refresher on the relative styles of the two producers:
Costanti are a traditional producer and still stick to the original framework laid down by the Consorzio for the production of Brunello all those years ago (altered some years ago). Most significantly is the use Slavonian large format wood for a 3-year elevage. The resulting wines are about cherry and strawberry fruit nuanced heavily by tobacco, dried herb, balsam and wafting florals. In great vintages the fruit is all important here as the underlying core offsets the more savoury aspects with a freshness and vigour.
In Fuligni you have a style which is notionally modern picking up some of the relaxed laws around oak type, size and time spent therein. Whilst a portion is always aged in larger format Slovanian oak, part is also aged in tonneaux (smaller French oak) and the aging in wood finishes after 2 years to retain more freshness in the finished wines. While the style is not markedly different in many ways to Costanti - after all we're talking about the same grape and estates within a couple of km’s of each other - there is a plushness and immediacy in the style here.
I'm often asked the question of which of these two producers I prefer. To be honest I find it impossible to answer. They both produce such great wines and the scouts-honour truth is, I always buy both for my own cellar. They rarely let me down - although I'd love to see them stop using corks but I could say that for a stack of Euro producers - and when they get a good vintage in the vineyard they never don't take full advantage. In 2018 you should do the same.
PLEASE NOTE, I HAVE LESS WINE THAN EVER BEFORE AND THE SHIPMENT WILL BE SPLIT IN TWO - SOME HERE NOW AND SOME IN JUNE.