2012 Voliero Brunello di Montalcino $60 bottle
94+ Wine Advocate “Voliero is a second brand made by Uccelliera's Andrea Cortonesi. It's slightly more affordable but that's a tricky argument to make given the new sky high price points I'm seeing across the denomination. The Voliero 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is a very pretty expression with dark fruit and an impressive sense of purity and primary fruit authenticity. At its core, you will encounter savory tones of spice, tobacco and leather. The bouquet also offers those beautifully polished Sangiovese-driven aromas of licorice, blue violets and balsam herb. The mouthfeel is succulent and rich. This is a very respectable Brunello that should age forward for at least ten years.”
And his Flagship winery, Uccelliera!
2012 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino $75 bottle
96 Points Wine Advocate “Like his previous releases, the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino shows an uncanny sense of continuity and consistency with past releases. This steady stylistic focus is one of the best reasons to buy Uccelliera Brunello. The wine is dark and rich in appearance. Fruit from this vintage was smaller than usual and Andrea jokes that during the 2012 growing season you could hardly call it "Sangiovese Grosso," the name of the Sangiovese clone used in Montalcino. It is normally characterized by larger berry size, but not in this warm and dry vintage. Fruit was concentrated and smaller instead. The wine's explosive flavor profile demonstrates this fact. Blackberry and dark fruit segues to spice, tobacco and balsam herb.”
