ELENA FUCCI 2021 "SCEG" AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE

We're excited to share this last, but in no way least, Top Wine of Italy! It's a wine for explorers, those who look for authentic regional experiences in their glasses. Elena Fucci's family had been on the path to sell most of the prime vineyards that her grandfather, Generoso, had wisely purchased in the 1960s. Much to their delight, she devoted herself to study winemaking in order to make her own wines from this gift her grandfather had given. Making use of those 50 to 70-year-old vines on high hills of volcanic soils, her "SCEG" Aglianico is a perfect introduction to the revitalization taking place at the base of the extinct Vulture volcano in Basilicata: it displays some of the wild, savory character the variety tends toward, but with a seductive, modern purity in the fruit expression. There's a tension between savory/earthy (incense/pepper, herbs, slightly gamey & ashy) and fruity (dark red berries & plum); and a textural tension between the grippy, coarse-grained tannins and juicy fleshiness of fruit, both of which linger in the umami-rich finish. Give this one time to open up in the glass or even put it away for a couple years! Pair with savory, meaty dishes (like sausages), hearty vegetable dishes like earthy lentils, and moderately aged sheep cheeses like Pecorino. Organically Farmed.

ERIC GUIDO, VINOUS 93 POINTS - "Camphor complicates grilled herb and red plum aromas as the 2021 Aglianico del Vulture SCEG opens in the glass. This is an especially rich and supple rendition of SCEG, with sour citrus enlivening masses of dark red fruits and perfumed inner florals that resonate throughout. Juicy acidity maintains an energetic feel as grippy tannins come forward through the close, as the 2021 finishes long and staining with a youthful tension that puckers the cheeks."