2015 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG, Tuscany

The Uccelliera 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a great achievement and is among my top favorite wines from Andrea Cortonesi tasted in the 20 or so years I have followed this estate. There is a lot of power here, thanks to that golden Castelnuovo dell'Abate sunshine, so I cannot liken this wine to some of the more ethereal and delicate expressions that I also love. Instead, this Riserva delivers brawn, dark fruit and muscle, but it does so with sincerity and honesty. You can't help but appreciate the complexity on offer. The wine offers plenty of dark fruit, but you also get licorice, balsam herb and crushed limestone. There is a lot of beauty to admire. Drink 2024-2048

97+ points Monica Larner robertparker.com.au Dec 2020

Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG is a powerful yet beautifully sculpted expression of Sangiovese Grosso, built for patience and serious collectors. The Uccelliera estate sits on the southern slopes of Montalcino, an area known for producing Brunello of richness and depth, but here that natural power is matched by precision and restraint. Warm days ensure full phenolic ripeness, while altitude and evening breezes preserve acidity and structure. Soils of galestro, clay and limestone give the wine its backbone and mineral authority.

Uccelliera was founded by Andrea Cortonesi in the late 1980s and has become one of Montalcino’s most respected traditional estates. Cortonesi’s philosophy is rooted in meticulous vineyard work and long, patient ageing. Only the best fruit and the strongest vintages are selected for Riserva, making production limited and highly sought after. Ageing takes place over many years in large oak casks, allowing the wine to evolve slowly and transparently without being shaped by oak flavour.

In the glass, the wine is deep, complex and commanding. Aromas unfold slowly, revealing sour cherry, black cherry and red plum layered with dried rose, violet and orange peel. With air, more savoury and tertiary notes emerge. Leather, tobacco, truffle and dried herbs build depth, alongside a subtle earthy, ferrous note that speaks clearly of Montalcino.

On the palate, this is Brunello in its most serious form. The wine is full bodied and structured, with intense red fruit carried by vibrant acidity. Tannins are firm, fine grained and persistent, giving the wine its architectural shape and extraordinary longevity. The texture is powerful yet composed, never heavy or rustic. The finish is long, dry and resonant, echoing cherry, spice, earth and mineral depth.

This is a wine made for long term cellaring. While it can be approached now with extended decanting, Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva truly comes into its own with time. Over twenty to thirty years it will continue to evolve, gaining layers of savoury complexity, leather and truffle while retaining its core of fruit and structure. At the table, it demands equally serious food. Slow cooked lamb, game, bistecca alla fiorentina or truffle driven dishes are ideal companions.

Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG is a benchmark Tuscan wine, powerful, disciplined and deeply expressive of place. A true collector’s Brunello that rewards patience and reverence.