Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Such purity of fruit here, makes me smile, with dark fruits and milk chocolate. Full body, with fine tannins and a clean finish. Delicious. Chewy. Better in 2014 to soften the acidity.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva flows with the essence of dark cherries, blackberries, flowers, violets, licorice and spices, all supported by firm, structured tannins. The 2006 boasts striking inner perfume, big fruit and a huge, explosive finish. The 2006 Riserva is surprisingly vibrant, focused and balanced for such a big wine. The Riserva was made from the estate’s highest altitude vineyards and aged one year in barrique and a second year in cask. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026.
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Wine Spectator
Rich cherry, currant, cedar and spice flavors are accented by meaty sanguine notes. Guided by the firm frame, this is dense and structured, with beefy tannins on the finish. Built for the long haul. Best from 2014 through 2032.
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Wine Enthusiast
Always a knockout Brunello, Uccelliera's 2006 Riserva seems on the ripe side, with jammy fruit aromas and savory beef jerky notes at the back. The firmness and natural acidity associated with Sangiovese is present, but the aromas show hints of candied fruit and spicy plum cake.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.