Brunello di Montalcino DOCG · Italy
2019 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino
Uccelliera's 2019 Brunello is a tightly coiled, vineyard-driven Sangiovese from Montalcino's exceptional vintage — one year from its opening window and worth every remaining month of patience.
- Varietal
- Sangiovese
- ABV
- 15.0%
- Vintage
- 2019
Drinking Window
In 2026: Too YoungHolding. Drinking window opens in 2027.
Right now: In 2026, the 2019 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino sits just one year short of its projected drinking window opening in 2027. The wine remains in a tight, muscular phase: the firm chalky tannins and lively acidity are still carrying most of the structural weight, and the aromatic complexity — black cherry, plum, cedar, and herbal notes — is present but compressed. This is the most challenging moment to assess this wine. Collectors who can hold even six to twelve more months will find a markedly more open and expressive bottle. Peak drinking runs from 2032 to 2045.
Tasting Note
Deep ruby-garnet with an inky center. The nose opens with black cherry and plum before cedared oak, cooked blackberry, and pomegranate lift through. Dried bay, oak spice, and a dried cherry note provide herbal counterpoint. The palate is full-bodied and concentrated, with firm chalky tannins providing grip and a lively, driving acidity that keeps the fruit from feeling heavy. The finish is dense and long, with walnut and cedar lingering alongside the dark fruit. A wine of real substance that needs time to settle into itself.
About Uccelliera
Andrea Cortonesi's Uccelliera estate, positioned in the warm southern sector of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, consistently produces some of Montalcino's most honest and cellar-worthy Brunellos. The south-facing exposure delivers riper, more deeply colored fruit than the cooler northern sites, and Cortonesi's traditional approach — large Slavonian oak casks, patient elevage, and minimal intervention — ensures that Sangiovese's characteristic acid backbone remains intact through the aging process. Uccelliera's standard Brunello represents compelling value within the appellation's elite tier.
Food Pairings
Slow-braised Chianina beef with juniper and rosemary
The wine's dense fruit and chalky tannin structure need a protein with substantial marbling and slow-developed flavor to match its intensity.
Porcini mushroom and guanciale pasta
Earthy dried mushrooms echo the wine's cedared oak and dried-cherry notes, while the cured pork fat provides the body to balance its driving acidity.
Aged Pecorino stagionato with black truffle honey
The crystalline texture and earthy intensity of aged Tuscan sheep's milk cheese amplifies the wine's walnut and dried-fruit complexity without competing with its tannin.
Service & Cellaring
- Serving Temp
- 64-67°F (18-19°C)
- Decanting
- Until 2027, this wine benefits from a long, patient pour rather than immediate decanting. From 2027, decant 2-3 hours. At peak drinking from 2032, plan 1.5-2 hours in a wide-bottomed decanter to open the aromatic complexity. In 2026, if you must open a bottle, decant 3-4 hours and give the wine extended time to breathe in the glass.
- Cellar Storage
- 55°F (13°C), 65-70% humidity, bottle on its side.
Frequently Asked
How much longer should I wait before opening the 2019 Uccelliera Brunello?
The drinking window opens in 2027 — just one year away. If patience is not possible, decant 3-4 hours in 2026 and give the wine extended time in the glass. But waiting twelve months will reward you with a dramatically more open and expressive bottle as the firm tannins begin to integrate.
Is 2019 a great Brunello vintage?
Wine Spectator rated it 98 points Classic — one of the highest ratings the appellation has received in recent memory. The character note describes wines combining elegance and power, with the best rivaling the legendary 2016 vintage. For collectors tracking Uccelliera, this is a must-have vintage.
What food works best with this wine?
Tuscan tradition guides the pairing: braised Chianina or cinghiale, porcini-rich pasta, or aged Pecorino stagionato. The wine's chalky tannin and driving acidity need substantial protein and fat to show their full expressive range.
What is the difference between the Brunello and the Riserva from Uccelliera?
The standard Brunello carries an earlier drinking window opening in 2027, while the Riserva does not open until 2028 and peaks later from 2034. The Riserva is produced only in exceptional years and carries greater structural intensity and extraction. Both are from the exceptional 2019 vintage but offer different cellaring timelines.
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