Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2019
(Tuscany, Italy) - [JD 96] [WA 95] [VM 95] [KO 95] [WS 94]

About this Wine:
Uccelliera is without any doubt one of the top estates of Montalcino, producing Brunello and Rosso that are complex, intense, extremely supple and drinkable. The Uccelliera estate was at once part of neighboring Ciacci Piccolomini until 1986, when winemaker Andrea Cortonesi purchased it from his friends and former employers; his first vintage was 1991. To produce Brunello and Rosso by blending vineyards with different exposures and soils is a specific choice so that the character of each vintage and of the terroir can be expressed following a "minimum handling" philosophy. The wines have quickly become cult favorites amongst the cognoscenti. 

Tasting Notes:
Elegant and well balanced, powerful, but clean and smooth and a dynamic rising finale.

Food Pairing:
Roast and stewed red meats, game, aged cheeses.

Ratings & Reviews

96 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
“A ripe red color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino is expressive of its place, with warming notes of licorice, black cherries, anise, cedar, and dark soil lifting from the glass. As it opens, it becomes purer in its fruit profile, shining through beautifully. Full-bodied, with ripe tannins and a savory slanting profile, notes of espresso and mocha float across the palate, filling it with purity of fruit and lovely concentration through its long finish. It’s a fantastic Brunello with a warming richness that can stand up to hearty winter foods and will be best enjoyed over the next 15 years. Drink 2026-2040.” – Audrey Frick (Feb 2024)

96 Points - Raffaele Vecchione:
"Fresh and vibrant on the nose, it shows notes of cherries, currants, raspberries, tangerine peel and pink grapefruit. Medium-full body, decidedly elegant and refined tannins and a finish of great personality that enlivens the graceful and performing sip. Best since 2026."

95 Points - Wine Advocate:
“The Uccelliera 2019 Brunello di Montalcino offers ripe fruit, a note of cooked blackberry and pomegranate juice. Along with oak spice and dried bay leaf, there is a spot of creaminess on the mid-palate that recalls cheese rind or aged chèvre with a crust of black pepper and thyme. That note blows off, however, and the wine returns to dried cherry with a medicinal or herbal twist. There's a lot going on. The wine needs more time in bottle to address the fine, chalky tannins. It is elegant now but poised to improve.” – Monica Larner (Dec 2023)

95 Points - Kerin O'Keefe: 
Aromas of scorched earth and truffle mingle with blue flower, leather and pipe tobacco on the bold 2019 Brunello from Uccelliera. It’s full-bodied and concentrated but also has great energy, delivering fleshy raspberry, black cherry extract, dried mint and licorice before a nutty close. Tightly wound, close-grained tannins provide firm support while bright acidity keeps it vibrant and balanced.

95 Points  - Vinous Media:
“Brooding yet intense, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino bursts from the glass with a wave of autumnal spices, crushed cherries, cedar shavings and steeped plums lifted by pine hints. This is deeply textural, elegant and refined, with a dense wave of ripe wild berry fruits, all guided by vibrant acidity, offset by oranges and balsam herbs. It finishes grippy and extended with a black hole of tension and a sweet and sour sensation that lingers on and on as crunchy tannins resonate throughout. The 2019 is youthfully backward today, yet there's a balance that can't be denied, especially as I watched it open up over twenty-four hours. This is a total pleasure to taste. Bury the 2019 deep in the cellar.” – Eric Guido (Dec 2023)

94 Points - Wine Spectator:
“Dense and muscular, this red delivers a broad swath of cherry, plum and floral flavors, supplemented by iron, eucalyptus and sanguine notes. Tightens up on the finish, leaving a compact impression, yet this is persistent overall. Best from 2027 through 2045. 3,166 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.” – Bruce Sanderson (Jun 2024)

94 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
“The nose opens with salinity, cool earth, coffee grinds, crushed rocks and licorice, then softens with peonies and cherry blossoms. The palate brings invigorating, tangy wild cherry and raspberry, while clinging, dense tannins provide structure.” - Danielle Callegari(Mar 2025)

94 Points - James Suckling:
“Perfumed and attractive with black-cherry and berry aromas, as well as lavender and rosemary flowers. Medium body with firm tannins and a juicy finish. Needs bottle age to soften. Best after 2027.” (Sep 2023)

93 Points - Decanter Magazine:
“Having tasted its component parts from barrel in 2021, I was fascinated to see how Uccelliera’s Brunello came together. Andrea Cortonesi assembles this from a handful of plots all located in the denomination’s southeastern corner. It opens with fragrances redolent of cedar and pine forest, undergrowth and leather. Full and vigorous, the palate is foursquare rather than round. A compact core of dark cherry is surrounded by chewy, generously extracted tannins. A touch of dryness from wood pokes through. Nevertheless, this feels very genuine and underlying acidity gives a lightening effect.” - Michaela Morris (Nov 2023)