When most people think of good Tuscan wines, they tend to focus on Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. While these wines are all good choices, there are many more excellent wines from this region. A good example of such wines are those produced by Fattoria Uccelliera, a family-owned and -run winery located 23 km south of the city of Pisa between the small towns of Fauglia and Lorenzana.
Fattoria Uccelliera was started in the late 1960s by Antonio Bulleri and Maria Elena Poggianti. Today the next two generations of the family work together to continue the winery. The property contains not only vineyards and olive trees but also restored farmhouses and a holiday facility.
Signora Tiziana Sani Bulleri, the sales manager and a family member, was kind enough to send us samples of the Fattoria Uccelliera wines available in the USA so that we could taste these. Below are the results of our tastings.
We began with a 2018 Isola Viognier IGT, a 100% Viognier grape, 12.5% alcohol white wine. The Isola grapes were manually harvested and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at 17°C. After bottling, the Isola is aged at least three months in the cellar. The wine was a pale yellow in color with a light fruit nose. It finished medium and very pleasant. I rated this wine an 88 and would recommend it with swordfish or salmon. It should be served at 12-13°C (about 54°F) and can be stored for 2-3 years.
Moving to the red wines, we tried a 2017 Ginepraia Rosso di Toscana IGT, a 13% alcohol blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvingnon and 15% Petit Verdot.The Ginepraia was very dark garnet in color with a complex nose. It finished medium long and very smooth. We drank this with Pasta Norma and I really liked this excellent Sangiovese blend. I rated it a 91/92. It will age for about 10 years and should be served at 16-18°C (61-64°F).
A Castellacio from Fattoria Uccelliera. PHOTO: Terry Duarte.
Next we tried a 2015 Chianti Reserva DOCG wine, a blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Canaiolo grapes. The Chianti Reserva was fermented in stainless steel with the skins for about 20 days at 27°C. It was aged for six months in oak barrels followed by at least another six months in the bottle. The result was deep garnet in color with a light fruit nose. It finished medium long and very smooth. I rated this wine a 92 and recommend it with lighter red meats. It will age for 5 years and should be served at 16-18°C.
Continuing with red wines, we tried a 2015 Poggio alla Pietra IGT, a 13.5% alcohol blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Alicante Bouschet grapes. After fermentation this wine was aged for six months in French oak barrels. The result was a wine of deep, almost purple color with a complex nose. It finished medium long and very smooth. I rated this wine a 92. It should be served a bit cooler at 58-61°F and will age for 10 or more years.
Our final tasting was a 2015 Syrah 7 Dieci IGT, a 100% Syrah grape 13% alcohol offering. The Syrah 7 Dieci was fermented in stainless steel in contact with the skins for seven days at 28°C followed by malolactic fermentation. Part of the wine was aged in French oak barrels for 12 months followed by at least six months in the bottle. The result was a wine of garnet color with a light fruit nose. It finished medium long and very smooth with the typical Syrah taste. I thought that the Syrah 7 Dieci was one of the best Syrahs that I have tasted and rated it a 92/93.
Our thanks go to Signora Sani Bulleri for the opportunity to taste and rate Fattoria Uccelliera’s wines.
