Andrea Cortonesi is Montalcino; his family has been in agriculture in the area since the 1800's.  As a young man he worked in many cellars, in 1986 he realized his dream of owning his own vineyards.  A small 3.5 Ha purchase in the most prized vineyard of Castelnovo dell' Abate that later grew to 6.0 Ha has given Andrea the ability to become one of the most respected and admired producers in the zone. Andrea is a very creative man and his quest for knowledge has lead him to produce wines like no one else in the area.  While firmly respectful of the past, he can’t avoid his natural curiosity and desire to explore.  Uccelliera (small bird cage) has been a place of experimentation and learning from the beginning.  The result is deep understanding of Sangiovese from Montalcino.  Andrea doesn’t have a formula to produce Brunello, he strives to make the best wine each year by looking at the harvest and the nature of the grapes.  Additionally he's an expert on the history of the area and the foods of the region, he's a humble but strong personality that has a burning desire to understand everything Montalcino.  The estate is experimental on many levels, his Brunello is aged in a combination of time in Slovenian cask and French barrique.  The wines benefit from the slow maturation offered by Slavonian cask, while possessing some more dark and rounder character from its time in barrique.  These wines are among the highest rated of each vintage and are a must in any Brunello cellar.