2005 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino
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Tasting notes
The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino is now fully mature, but it has held up beautifully. All the classic Uccelliera signatures are in the glass; smoke, game, tobacco and iron open up first, followed by more complex notes of pine, mint and dried flowers. Powerful and brooding in style, as these wines often are, the 2005 offers good balance and enough depth to drink well for at least another few years. In 2005, proprietor Andrea Cortonesi did not bottle a Riserva.
Critic scores
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Nose marked by undergrowth with a hint of tar and mushroom. Wonderful, supple fruit and juts a little bit dry on the finish. (WS)
The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the unqualified successes of the vintage. Dark, vibrant fruit melds into graphite, spices, menthol and minerals as this mid- weight, elegant Brunello opens up in the glass. Deceptively medium in body, the 2005 Brunello packs quite a punch, with tons of super-ripe fruit that caresses the palate and balances the tannins beautifully through to the close. The warm radiance of Castelnuovo comes through in spades. This is another brilliant Brunello that benefits from the inclusion of fruit that usually goes into the Riserva.
The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the unqualified successes of the vintage. Dark, vibrant fruit melds into graphite, spices, menthol and minerals as this mid-weight, elegant Brunello opens up in the glass. Deceptively medium in body, the 2005 Brunello packs quite a punch, with tons of super-ripe fruit that caresses the palate and balances the tannins beautifully through to the close. The warm radiance of Castelnuovo comes through in spades. This is another brilliant Brunello that benefits from the inclusion of fruit that usually goes into the Riserva. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. I was blown away with the wines I tasted at Uccelliera this year. Proprietor Andrea Cortonesi showed me the entirety of his Brunellos in cask, which provided fascinating insights into the evolution of this small, family-run property. To be honest, I had never been a huge fan of Cortonesi’s Brunellos until the 2004 vintage, as I often found the wines excessively heavy. Not coincidentally, 2004 is the first year Cortonesi worked with lower temperatures in fermentation which resulted in wines of superb elegance and delineation. Uccelliera is now without question one of the handful of top producers in Montalcino. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including: de Grazia Imports; tel. (417) 732-4200; Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; (516) 677-9300, Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael CA; (415) 492-9411, Giuliana Imports, Boulder CO; (303) 547-6343, Robert Houde Wines, Bensenville IL; (630) 422-1119