Elena Fucci may well be the most exciting emerging winemaker in all of Italy

Well my dear buggas of de bugga-bloggeea we have a report to report on our favorite Basilicatian Red, Titolo 2016, which will be landed in our safe as houses `bonded whorehouse’, sorry I mean warehouse, once the mercury drops a bit, or a lot by the looks of things to come.

Two old chums got together down Dorset way, last month, and one of the wines for the weekend that we sent down for them to enjoy knocking on the head was one of these. The host happens to be one of the most famous wine critics around today so thank you SS for your commentary (below)

2016 Titolo Elena Fucci, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata

‘Very fine young colour, dense with fine clarity and velvety texture;  excellently expressed black fruits on the nose with a touch of spice, good structure on the palate with elegance to lift the firm Aglianico flavours and acidity to refresh the finish.  Very polished winemaking allows it to be enjoyed now, but it will improve over the coming decade.’

In the good London City Bond we still have a little of the 2015 in stock and 2016 will arrive, probably, in September this year. If we can get a refrigerated truck to pull up at Elena’s house and get going.

Roll up roll up …. Once it has gone, it sure as hell has all gone. I told you this first, here!

And in the meantime, I could not help but notice one of our American chums, has just come across Titolo. And this is what he writes in his vinous webpage, across the pond there:

“Elena Fucci may well be the most exciting emerging winemaker in all of Italy. She produces a very small quantity of a single wine TITOLO from Aglianico del Vulture vines on the slopes of the extinct volcano Mount Vulture in the Basilicata region of central Italy.”

America’s top wine reviewers have recently discovered her and been showering her with praise:

“I cannot exaggerate how impressed I am by her wines. Each one is a masterpiece in its own right.” — Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

“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.” — Ian D’Agata, Vinous Media

To see what the fuss is about and get access to this incredible wine, order some now!

For those who are not familiar, Aglianico is one of the great red wines of Italy; it’s even called the “Barolo of the South.” The grape, grown in volcanic soils, is fruity, minerally, and powerful, with thick skins that ripen so late they are often harvested during the last week of October and into November. The results are rich, powerful, structured wines, with naturally high acidity that makes them incredibly age-worthy.

Elena Fucci’s vineyards are located at an altitude of 600 meters on the slopes of the extinct Mount Vulture in the Contrada Solagna del Titolo, considered the top cru of the region. This volcanic terrain has a strong mineral soil, dark in color and pozzolanic, whereby the various lava flows, lapilli (volcanic pebbles), and ash are interspersed with layers of loam and clay from more dormant periods. The near-perfect south and southeastern exposure of the vines are in the optimal zone for ripening of the highly tannic Aglianico del Vulture grape.

She focuses all of her energy on a single wine TITOLO that is made from 100% estate-owned Aglianico del Vulture fruit. Production is tiny at only about 2,000 cases per year (of six), but the reputation is growing rapidly despite its very limited U.S. distribution.

For now the price is eminently reasonable at under $50 per bottle, so I highly encourage you to order some of this emerging treasure.