2012 Uccelliera Brunello Di Montalcino

(96 points) I am always such a big fan of Andrea Cortonesi's work. 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. (ML) (3/2017) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate