Uccelliera - Voliero - Andrea Cortonesi
The winery shared by Uccelliera and Voliero is located in Castelnuovo dell’ Abate, in the southeast section of Montalcino. Owner and winemaker Andrea Cortonesi has spent his life working in the vineyards and countryside of Montalcino. Today he makes use of three separate vineyards, all within the subregion of Castelnuovo dell’ Abate, but all differing in elevation, soil composition and aspect, to create his truly southern yet balanced Brunello: Uccelliera. On the other hand, the fruit for Voliero, which was once sourced from a rented parcel in the north, now hails from two separate yet both higher-elevation vineyards in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, as well as Sant’Angelo in Colle. Voliero is also refined in large oak casks for thirty months, versus the Uccelliera, which spends twenty-four months in a combination of French and Slavonian oak. I, for one, love tasting these two wines next to each other, vintage after vintage; and what I have always found most amusing is how they seem to be a mirror image of each other. To generalize, I often find Voliero to succeed most in warmer vintages, while Uccelliera loves the cooler and rainier years. VINOUS
2016 Brunello di Montalcino $80
96+ VM, 96 ML, 97 JS
ETA February 15 2021
The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino blends richness, ripeness and refinement to create a model of total balance. At first, it’s dark, earthy and herbal; yet with time in the glass, a massive wave of black cherry, raspberry, sage and a grounding note of undergrowth comes forward. In the mouth, it coats all that it touches in silky, cool-toned textures, giving way to ripe red/black fruits complemented by spiced citrus, as nuances of lavender and tobacco form. While this feels round and pliant throughout, fine-grain tannins slowly saturate, sneaking up and reminding you of just how young the 2016 really is today. Hints of baker’s chocolate, licorice and a twang of tart blackberry resonate - wow, does it ever end -- Eric Guido, Vinous 96 +
The Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino 2016 opens to dark fruit and wild cherry with warmer tones of cured tobacco, spice and potting soil. It shows the extra density, darkness and richness that comes so beautifully to fruit growing on the sun drenched southern side of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the southern half of the appellation. What Uccelliera delivers so carefully, vintage after vintage, is a truly exceptional sense of mouthfeel with textual richness and lingering creaminess. It is also one of the wines that consistently shows a sense of place. This is a touchstone estate for the specific Montalcino microclimate.
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate 96
2016 Brunello di Montalcino $65
94 ML, 94 JS, 92 AG
ETA February 15 2021
The Voliero 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to rich, fruity fiber with aromas of dark fruit, blackberry preserves, red brick and scorched earth. This is a saturated and accessible expression from Montalcino to enjoy in the near or medium term with a nice steak and grilled Porcini mushrooms. The grapes are fermented in steel with indigenous yeast and aged in Slovenian oak. Monica Larner, Wine Advocate 94
Aromas of flowers, plums, cedar and violets follow through to a full body with firm, silky tannins that show plush fruit that’s pure and focused. Hints of orange peel, too. Fresh. Persistent at the end. Drink after 2023. James Suckling 94