Uccelliera

The history

Andrea Cortonesi acquired Uccelliera in 1986, at a time when Brunello di Montalcino was still far from the international attention it enjoys today. The vineyard he acquired was small, and it remains small to this day.

Some of the vines were already there before the acquisition. The oldest vines have long been producing grapes in a plot planted in 1975, and another plot planted in 1976 is still in production. The most recently planted of these older vines date from 1999.

Vine planting has continued ever since. Giacinto was planted in 2019 and, unlike the older plots, is cultivated using the bush-trained method rather than wire trellising. Cortonesi continues to play a central role in all decision-making.

The vineyards

Uccelliera cultivates a 10-hectare vineyard around Castelnuovo dell'Abate, most of which consists of the Sangiovese variety. This land is not a single block but consists of parcels named Terzo, Dore, Giacinto, Carbonetti, Quercioni di Delfo, Sondrollone, Due Terre, Pianlungo, Sopra Casa, Piaggia, Sotto Strada, Abate, Butiloni, and Uccelliera.

The average elevation is approximately 150, 250, and 350 meters, though individual sections are higher than these figures. Terzo is located at 390 meters and Dore at 400 meters; both face southeast.

The vines range in age from about 5 to 45 years. The cultivation methods also differ. Terzo and Dore use the spurred cordon and Guyot methods with approximately 2,778 vines planted per hectare, whereas the relatively recently established Giacinto is cultivated using the bush method with a smaller spacing, resulting in a density of over 5,000 vines per hectare.

Work in the vineyard is manual and repetitive. The orientation of the rows is set to ensure adequate light and airflow, the canopy is maintained in a balanced state, and the vines are regularly inspected to thin out the grape clusters. Uccelliera is cultivated using organic methods and is intentionally managed in harmony with the natural flow of the seasons. In other words, the goal is to ensure that the actual climatic conditions of each year are directly reflected in the quality of the grapes.

The different terroirs

To the southeast rises Mount Amiata, and to the southwest, Poggio d'Arna; together, these two mountains help mitigate the effects of the harshest weather. In contrast, the Orcia River valley plays the opposite role, driving cool sea breezes into the vineyards.

The soil here was originally formed underwater. About 7 million years ago, as surface water receded, sand and sandstone formed from lake and lagoon sediments, and the sandy loam still shows a noticeable presence of crumbled fossils. The soil across Uccelliera's plots is diverse. It consists of a mixture of clay and limestone, clay and sand, iron-rich red soil, and galestro, a rock similar to the brittle schist found in many Tuscan vineyards.

Because of this diversity, the winery spares no effort in managing numerous individual plots. Sand adds aroma and liveliness, clay retains moisture and provides structure, and altitude helps maintain the proper level of acidity. The stated goal is to produce well-ripened, healthy, and aromatic fruit, which is suitable for wines that can be enjoyed young or aged for a long time.

Sangiovese, and a little else

Uccelliera has a short list of grape varieties.

• Sangiovese accounts for nearly the entire 10-hectare area; it is the only grape variety used for Brunello di Montalcino and is bottled as 100% Sangiovese.
• The small plots of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which cover less than 0.5 hectares, belong to Sant'Antimo DOC rather than Brunello DOCG.

Although the French plot is negligible in terms of area, it offers a glimpse into the vineyard's philosophy. All significant activities revolve around Sangiovese, while the rest are intentionally kept in a secondary role.

The winemaking

The fermentation process for Uccelliera begins at a low temperature. Cortonesi lets the wine undergo a pre-fermentation maceration at a low temperature in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to gently extract pigments, after which the indigenous yeasts already present on the fruit are allowed to carry out the fermentation.

Each plot is fermented separately, as the goal is to understand the characteristics of each soil type and each vintage before deciding on the blend.

Aging takes place in barriques, small French oak barrels, and Montalcino's traditional large barrels, known as botti. The proportions vary from year to year depending on the characteristics of the fruit. Cortonesi's stance on oak is unequivocal: silky-smooth tannins come from grapes that have ripened fully in the vineyard, and no oak barrel can provide this afterward.

Riserva is not produced every year. It is produced only when Sangiovese, particularly that from high-altitude vineyards, demonstrates the quality and breadth of terroir characteristics necessary to create this wine.

The wines

Brunello di Montalcino is the flagship wine of the lineup. Straight Sangiovese is not a single-vineyard wine but a blend of grapes from various plots of Uccelliera's, and it is the wine that epitomizes the winery's reputation.

Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is released only in years when the Sangiovese shows the best possible quality; it is primarily based on Sangiovese, which comes from high-altitude vineyards, and is aged for a longer period in oak barrels before release.

Costabate Sangiovese di Toscana is a wine that does not adhere to the DOCG specifications; it is a Sangiovese produced under the broader Tuscan appellation.

The Rosso di Montalcino aims for a style with richer fruit aromas than Brunello and is meant to be enjoyed sooner, as well as small quantities of red wine produced from the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards under the Sant'Antimo DOC designation.

For a 10-hectare vineyard, this is a solid and consistent lineup dominated by a single grape variety.