Brunello di Montalcino DOCG · Italy
2019 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Uccelliera's 2019 Brunello Riserva is dark, cellar-essential Sangiovese from one of Montalcino's finest vintages — structured for decades, with the window not opening until 2028.
- Varietal
- Sangiovese
- ABV
- 15.5%
- Vintage
- 2019
Drinking Window
In 2026: Too YoungHolding. Drinking window opens in 2028.
Right now: In 2026, the 2019 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is two years from its earliest projected drinking window. This is a wine requiring patience: the tannin structure is dense and unyielding, the acidity zesty and driving, and the aromatic profile still tight and wound around a core of mentholated black cherry and balsamic spice. Opening it now would expose only the wine's skeleton, not its soul. The window opens in 2028 and reaches its apex between 2034 and 2048. Collectors who acquired this for the long haul should add another decade-plus to this wait.
Tasting Note
Deep ruby approaching garnet, with a dense, opaque core. The nose is complex and demanding: mentholated black cherry leads alongside balsamic spice, sage, pine, and a flinty mineral edge. With air, graphite, smoke, dark chocolate, and cedar emerge, followed by rosemary and cardamom in the background. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and structured, with fine-grained chalky tannins providing a firm grip and a zesty acidity that drives the fruit through a long, herb-tinged finish. This is a Riserva built for the cellar, not the table.
About Uccelliera
Uccelliera, the small estate of Andrea Cortonesi in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, is one of Montalcino's most consistent craftsmen of traditional-style Brunello. Cortonesi farms his estate's south-facing vineyards in the warmer, sun-drenched southern sector of the appellation, which typically produces wines of greater color intensity and fruit concentration than the more elevated northern sites. Aging takes place in large Slavonian oak casks of varying sizes, a nod to tradition that preserves Sangiovese's characteristic acid backbone. The Riserva, produced only in the finest years, carries an additional statutory minimum aging period and represents the top of the estate's range.
Food Pairings
Bistecca Fiorentina with sea salt and rosemary
The wine's firm chalky tannins cut through charred fat on the bone-in steak, while its balsamic spice echoes the beef's caramelized crust.
Wild boar ragu with hand-rolled pici
Cinghiale's gamey depth and slow-cooked tomato acidity align with the wine's zesty acid backbone and herbal-spice complexity.
Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano (36+ months)
The crystalline, umami-rich texture of aged hard cheese bridges the wine's mineral-graphite tannin without competing with its dense fruit core.
Service & Cellaring
- Serving Temp
- 64-67°F (18-19°C)
- Decanting
- Until 2028, this wine is not ready to open. From 2028 onward, decant 2-3 hours — the wine will need extended aeration to release its tightly coiled aromatics. At peak from 2034, plan for 1.5-2 hours of decanting to let the aromatic complexity fully develop in the glass.
- Cellar Storage
- 55°F (13°C), 65-70% humidity, bottle on its side in darkness.
Frequently Asked
When does the 2019 Uccelliera Brunello Riserva drinking window open?
The window is projected to open in 2028 — still two years away. This is not a wine to open now. The structure is dense, the tannins chalky and unyielding, and the aromatic complexity has not yet had time to integrate. Adding at least two more years of patience will yield a dramatically different experience.
How much should I decant this wine?
At any point in its drinking window, decant for at least 2-3 hours. Brunello Riserva at this level carries structural tannins and extracted compounds that need extended aeration to release their full aromatic complexity. A wine this concentrated will continue to evolve for the first 2-3 hours in a wide-bottomed decanter.
What makes the 2019 vintage special for Brunello?
Wine Spectator rated the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino vintage 98 points, calling it Classic and noting the top wines rival the legendary 2016. Consistent weather, warm days, and cool nights produced pure, concentrated Sangiovese with both elegance and power — the ideal combination for long-lived Riserva.
How does the Riserva differ from Uccelliera's standard Brunello?
The Riserva is produced only in the finest vintages, carries a longer statutory aging requirement under DOCG rules, and represents the estate's most structured and cellar-worthy expression. It has greater concentration, deeper color, and a more extended tannin backbone than the standard Brunello, which carries a somewhat earlier drinking window.
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