Italy · Tuscany

Fattoria Uccelliera

Fattoria Uccelliera is a small, highly regarded Brunello di Montalcino producer in the Castelnuovo dell'Abate sector on the southern slopes of the Montalcino hill, a zone known for producing riper, more structured expressions of Brunello due to warmer temperatures. The estate is run by Andrea Cortonesi, who farms approximately 7 hectares of Sangiovese Grosso with meticulous attention to vine density and yield limitation. At auction, Uccelliera's Riserva is the primary wine trading, averaging $143 per bottle with a maximum of $432 — significantly higher than many Brunello peers at the standard tier. The high auction average for a 7-hectare producer reflects both the estate's critical standing and the scarcity of production. Uccelliera is consistently rated among Brunello's elite small producers by Antonio Galloni and other major critics, with the Riserva receiving scores in the mid-to-high 90s in strong vintages. The Castelnuovo dell'Abate sector is relatively under-discussed relative to the northeast Montalcino or Montosoli zones, but Uccelliera's success has drawn attention to this southern zone's potential for powerful, age-worthy Brunello. The estate is one of the few southern-slope producers consistently mentioned in top-tier assessments of the appellation.