Elena Fucci Elena Fucci Titolo Classico 2021 750ml

An appealing, harmonious red that shows bright energy and focus on the palate. Firm, fine-grained tannins provide a taut, integrated frame for flavors of plum skin, macerated cherry and herbed green olive as they ride the silky texture. Theres a minerally push of stone and smoke through the finish, where those elements join zesty milled white pepper and smoked paprika notes. Drink now through 2041. 166 cases made, 80 cases imported.

Elena Fucci is a force. I first met her at a conference in 2021. At the time, Aglianico del Vulture was still new to me, and I had yet to be impressed by a wine from the region. On that day, we tasted her 2012 Titolo, and I listened to a story about a young girl who sought to save her family winery, changed her entire life to learn oenology, and went against convention in a male-dominated industry to show the world what this little corner of Italy was capable of producing. The wine blew me away, and so did her enthusiasm, which, to this day, continues to move the Elena Fucci winery (and the entire region of Vulture) forward. The Fucci winery is located in Barile at 600 meters in elevation, surrounded by the 7.5-hectare Titolo vineyard. This is the same vineyard and, in many cases, the same vines that her great-grandfather planted and her father worked decades ago. While some expansion and replanting have taken place out of necessity, the portfolio remains entirely focused on Titolo, from the “Pink” Rosé to the Aglianico del Vulture, the Superiore, the Titolo in Amphora and the Riserva. Elena Fucci’s style mixes the Old World with the New with the discreet use of oak in her carbon-neutral cellar. The family continues to be a center focus, with her husband at her side and her father still involved in the vineyards. As for Elena Fucci herself, beyond winemaking, she has worked to become a symbol for the region and its potential, not only concerned with her production and success but also with the success of all producers that bottle Aglianico del Vulture. The cooperation and communication between the smaller producers of Vulture is admirable, and much of it centers around Fucci’s charismatic attitude and constant focus on the region's future. As for the wines, they have never been better, yet what truly floored me was a taste of Fucci’s first vintage: the 2000 Aglianico del Vulture. How could the first wine she ever made still be so classy and full of life? For Fucci, 2004 is the first vintage that shows her refined style over the last 20 years, having matured the wine in a combination of tonneaux and 200-liter barriques. That said, the 2019 Riserva is hands down one of the best wines I have tasted in Italy this year, followed by the 2020 Superiore, which transcends the warm character of the vintage. Titolo by Amphora remains one of my favorites—this wine has made me love the combination of clay and Aglianico. Having said all of this, the flagship 2022 Titolo continues to prove Fucci’s abilities; it’s a classic wine in every sense.

The organic Elena Fucci 2022 Aglianico del Vulture Titolo (or the so-called "classico" version of her flagship wine) represents a powerful vintage in which fruit ripeness and concentration are on full display. These results are balanced overall yet lean into the bolder side of Vulture winemaking. The wine offers good freshness thanks to high-elevation fruit, but the 2022 vintage is more accessible even upon release. The Titolo vineyard is located at 650 meters in elevation. The wine ferments in stainless steel and ages in barrique for 12 months, followed by 12 months in glass. Production is 27,122 bottles.

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.

Potpourri spice, dried herb and floral notes are a fragrant overtone for a core of macerated raspberry and black cherry fruit in this well-meshed, medium-bodied red, which is lightly chalky in texture and signed by fine tannins. Drink now through 2029. 2,250 cases made, 1,250 cases imported.