2003 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino

Full red-ruby. Ripe but slightly clenched aromas of plum and dark chocolate, lifted by pepper and mint. Rich, deep and rather lush, with enticing sweetness of fruit and a mouthfilling texture rare for the vintage. Suave and not at all overly sweet. Finishes with substantial sweet tannins and serious building length.

The 2003 Brunello di Montalcino is very representative of the house style in its intense expression of ripe dark fruit, menthol, leather, chocolate and spices. It offers superb richness and depth, with notable complexity for a wine of its size. Another year of bottle age should help smooth the tannins yet I wouldn't wait too long to drink this wine, as it will likely offers its best drinking relatively early.

The 2003 Brunello di Montalcino is very representative of the house style in its intense expression of ripe dark fruit, menthol, leather, chocolate and spices. It offers superb richness and depth, with notable complexity for a wine of its size. Another year of bottle age should help smooth the tannins yet I wouldn’t wait too long to drink this wine, as it will likely offers its best drinking relatively early. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016. Proprietor Andrea Cortonesi fashions big, full-bodied wines from his vineyards in the southern part of the zone. This is a very strong set of releases from a producer who represents the finest of the artisan approach to making wines in Montalcino. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700, and Estate Wines, Ltd., San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 492-9411