Il Marroneto Madonna delle Grazie Brunello di Montalcino 2021

A restrained wine with a sleek, elegant nose of licorice, red cherries, cherry pits, Parma violets and a hint of balsamic. Precise, focused and full-bodied, it shows tension, firm yet ripe tannins, blood orange flavors, a tight yet woven palate and focused acidity. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.

From a special vineyard near the chapel that gives the wine its name, Il Marroneto’s 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie is a wine of beautiful complexity and delicacy, distinguished by an elegant savory note reminiscent of cypress trees on a warm summer day. It shows striking focus and intensity yet remains finely balanced, with a sense of richness carried by a refined, seamless texture. The tannins are softly polymerized thanks to a slow fermentation that emphasizes patience and finesse over extraction, carried out spontaneously with no temperature control. It matures in oak botti for 47 months, a regimen that shapes the wine’s depth and balance. Only 9,000 bottles were made.

Iacopo Mori says that the selection for Madonna delle Grazie was easy in 2021 given the high quality of grapes. It also meant that the estate was able to produce more than usual – 9,500 rather than just 8,000 bottles. It sports a stunning nose of violets, roasted chestnut, incense and allspice. The palate plunges deep with wild forest berries – it's paradoxically fresh given how long this stays in barrel. Where it distinguishes itself from the estate Brunello is in its structure. Balletically toned and chiseled, the tannins grip resolutely and demand time. But oh my, what mouthwatering salinity! Blackcurrant pops on the finish.