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97 points- Vinous
96+ points- Jeb Dunnuck
96 points- James Suckling
"...Velvety smooth and nearly creamy in feel, it floods the palate with hints of ripe red and blue fruit...Bury this deep in the cellar—it's a masterpiece in the making." -Vinous
Available in store
Close"Hauntingly dark, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva displays a lovely elegance. A bouquet of mentholated black cherries and balsamic spices is lifted by whiffs of dried sage and pine shavings. Velvety smooth and nearly creamy in feel, it floods the palate with hints of ripe red and blue fruit. It has a core of zesty acidity maintains amazing energy and freshness. This leaves the senses enshrouded in a veil of fine-grained tannins, dramatically long and structured but with a concentration of primary saturation to balance. Bury this deep in the cellar—it's a masterpiece in the making." -Vinous
"We have not seen a Riserva from Uccelliera in a few years. The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva wears a heavy mantle of oak that adds sweet cinnamon and vanilla stick. Those oak tones are prominent, but they do remain sweet and hydrated nonetheless; and that's a plus, because you don't get drying tannins, although there is a pinch of astringency at this young stage. Blackberry and dried rose potpourri are featured along with sandalwood and sauna wood. The alcohol content is high at 15.5%. This is a release of 10,400 bottles plus larger formats, and it should be interesting to watch its bottle evolution." -Wine Advocate
Uccelliera is a small estate and winery on the southeast slopes of the Tuscan hilltop village of Castelnuovo del'Abato in southern Montalcino. It is highly regarded for its red wines made from Sangiovese, most notably its Brunello di Montalcino Riserva.
The winery was established by owner and winemaker Andrea Cortonesi, when he bought the Uccelliera farm in 1986. At the time it was a four-hectare (10-acre) property with less than a single hectare planted with vines.
After some expansion and renovation, the modern property now extends to six hectares (15 acres), almost all of which is under vine. Sangiovese dominates the plantings and is exclusively used in the Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wines, as required by appellation laws.
The Brunello comes from plots across the property and blended together to take advantage of the different aspects and terroirs within the estate. There are also small parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot planted, which are blended with Sangiovese to make the estate's IGT blends.
Uccelliera also makes a Brunello-designated grappa.
Cortonesi makes another Brunello in partnership with other producers in the region. The wine is made under the label Voliero and vinified at other wineries, but bottled at Uccelliera.