Il Marroneto - Brunello di Montalcino Madonna Delle Grazie 2020 (750ml)
Price: $445.00
| Producer | Il Marroneto |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Subregion | Brunello di Montalcino |
| Varietal | Sangiovese |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Sku | 10786 |
| Size | 750ml |
Alessandro Mori’s Il Marroneto estate is situated just north of town at 400 meters of altitude in a cooler, steeply-sloped microclimate with soils of pebble rich limestone and galestro that give wines of precision, finesse and elegance.
This highly traditional estate came into being out of the purchase of a property by Giuseppe Mori in 1974. Vines were planted at that time, but additional vines were planted in 1975 and 1977 and in the early 1980s. Guiseppe’s sons Alessandro and Andrea arrived in 1980 at the same time the first vintage Brunello was made, but wine was not really commercially produced until 1994, when Alessandro gave up his career as a lawyer to focus on winemaking full time.
Il Marroneto is a small estate from which three wines are made – a Rosso and a Brunello, both made from vineyards acquired in 1998 at about 250 meters, and the Madonna delle Grazie bottling, which comes from the original 1.6 hectare vineyard at higher altitude planted by Alessandro’s father in 1974 and named after the local eleventh century church.
Steadfastly old school in their production methods, with aging in large French and Slavonian oak casks, Il Marroneto’s Brunellos are built to last, with tannins that need some time to soften. Patience is rewarded, however, with wines that have sophisticated fruit profiles, real elegance and a brightness that reflects the vineyards’ cooler location north of the town.
The wines have an established following among those looking for traditionally made Brunellos.
James Suckling: 99 Points
An exquisite mix of elegant aromas dominates the nose with notes of Parma violets orange peel Earl Grey tea dried cherries smoky woodland and earthy minerality. Full-bodied it shows significant tannins but it?s velvety sweet and full of aging potential. The flavors are enhanced by energetic slightly lifted acidity and a super-long austere finish. It will last for decades. Try after 2025.
Wine Advocate: 98 Points
The Il Marroneto 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie (tasted once in the winery and again in my office) is another classical expression of Sangiovese from vintner Alessandro Mori and his son Iacopo. This vintage is best described as more charming compared to the stacked 2019 vintage or the powerful 2016 edition. This is a very pretty wine elegant and finessed with pretty floral highlights of rose and violet that lean into a subtle menthol note. There is caramelized sugar and candied orange. The wine lives in oak for 46 months with just a brief time in steel before going into bottle (at the end of July 2024). This vintage is a little closed or tight in terms of mouthfeel which suggests it needs more time in bottle to spread its wings.
Vinous: 98 Points
he undeniably elegant 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie is amazingly fresh and vibrant on the nose cascading from the glass with a burst of crushed cherries rose petals blood oranges and cloves. This displays exceptional elegance and grace soothing the palate with its silken feel and ripe red and blue fruits. Hints of sour citrus add contrast a mix of iron-borne minerals and fine tannins that mount toward the close. A saturation of primary concentration remains offset by residual acidity as this finishes structured and impossibly long leaving a sour cherry tinge and masses of violet pastille. The 2020 is a showboat yet complex and harmonious from start to finish. It's easily one of the absolute top wines of the vintage. - By Eric Guido on November 2023 Whereas most wines from Montalcino are elegant soft and earlier-drinking in 2020 at Il Marroneto they are classic to the core which is completely atypical of the vintage. There will be a 2020 Riserva?Il Marronetto's first since 2013 chosen from one very distinct barrel in the cellar. Production will total only 1000 magnums. The 2020 Brunello and 2020 Madonna delle Grazie are simply spellbinding. Frankly it's difficult to consider them alongside what I've tasted from the 2020 vintage. They are aromatically stunning and packed full of depth and concentration but also energetic and refined. Iacopo Mori mentioned that the wines are incredibly high in dry extract yet the acidity holds them together. He went on to explain that due to the lockdown no airplanes were flying overhead no cars were driving nearby and there was very minimal pollution. The team was able to focus all of their energy on the vineyards. Asked about the level of depth they achieved in the wines Mori went into detail about the harvest. Considering the higher elevations at Il Marronetto and its sandy soils they were able to wait until after the September rains when many producers had already picked their fruit resulting in perfectly ripe tannins. These wines are not to be missed.
Decanter: 97 Points
This soars out of the glass with heady scents of violet rose and lilac eventually joined by flecks of pepper potting soil and roasted chestnuts yet the palate is almost stubbornly closed as the tannins clutch assertively to a brooding core of dark cherry. Acidity is just as concentrated as the fruit and next to the estate?s classic Brunello the single-vineyard Madonna delle Grazie bottling demonstrates more density and volume and it will need even longer in the cellar. Next year Il Marroneto will come out with a 2020 Riserva only the estate?s second ever (2013 being the first). Based on the performance of these two wines the decision seems highly justified. Tasted by: Michaela Morris
Jeb Dunnuck: 95-98 Points
The first of three vineyard selections the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino Madonna Delle Grazie is long and expansive through the palate. It offers ample structure and energy through an exquisitely concentrated and long finish. At this stage there is notable reduction and the wine is still working nearly three years later.- Audrey Frick
vKerin O'Keefe: 97 Points
Violets cake spice baked plum and camphor aromas come to the forefront on the stunning 2020 Madonna delle Grazie. Boasting a weightless concentration the savory structured palate doles out crushed raspberry ripe black cherry dried rosemary and star anise before closing on bitter almond and an almost salted mineral note. Thanks to the advanced age of the vines it has great depth. Taut velvety tannins and fresh acidity keep it balanced. Drink 2029?2040. 15% Kerin O?Keefe
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