2017 Uccelliera Sangiovese ‘Rapace’ IGT

WA94 The Uccelliera 2016 Rapace (a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) shows a focused and chiseled personality that is very characteristic of this vintage. The wine’s mineral side, with shadings of lead pencil and crushed stone, give sharp contours and delineation to the abundant black fruit packed tight at the core. The wine shows bright acidity with more than enough rich fruit to bolster that freshness.  This is an outstanding value buy.
Estate Notes: Rich, complex and powerful, but clean and smooth at the same time, with prominent but fine-grained tannins, and a dynamic, rising long-lingering finale.

The Uccelliera estate was at once part of neighboring Ciacci Piccolomini until 1986, when winemaker Andrea Cortonesi purchased it from his friends and former employers. After refining his trade as cellar master for Ciacci, Andrea ventured out on his own with the formation of Uccelliera. His first vintage was 1991 with the production of a mere 500 bottles!
The wines have quickly become cult favorites amongst the cognoscenti. Tucked away in the southeast corner of the appellation in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, the soil here is loose and stony which when coupled with a warm microclimate gives the wines of Uccelliera a rich and ripe expression, vintage after vintage. Two hectares adjacent to Ciacci’s famous ‘Pianrosso’ vineyard were recently added to this boutique estate, bringing the total to a mere six hectares. Andrea Cortonesi is tireless in his approach to winemaking, with all vineyard work done exclusively by hand.