Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2012 (Tuscany, Italy) - [JS 96] [RP 95] [WE 92] [VM 90+] [DM 90]

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.  Robert Parker's Monica Larner has declared Uccelliera "one of my favorite Brunello producers" and gave the following additional information about the winery:   "Andrea Cortonesi's Uccelliera offers distinctive wines that reflect the characteristics of the Castelnuovo dell'Abate subzone in the southeast quadrant of the appellation.