I have reviewed two wines from Il Marroneto, all from the 2020 vintage, all from Brunello di Montalcino. All are Sangiovese. Scores range from 97 to 99, averaging 98; the highest is the 2020 Il Marroneto “Madonna Delle Grazie” Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (99 points). Il Marroneto also features in one journal article on this site.
Il Marroneto has risen to the very top tier of Montalcino, largely through the passion of its owner, Alessandro Mori. The estate lies on the northern slopes of the town, near the old drying tower for chestnuts (marroni) that gives it its name. Here the north-facing slope has wide temperature swings, and the wines are packed with aroma, minerality and acidity. Mori’s goal is the purest, most classical expression of Sangiovese: refined, age-worthy and bound to its terroir.
The method is minimal intervention: wild-yeast fermentations, long macerations and ageing of more than three years in neutral Slavonian oak. The classic Brunello is a wine of grace and precision; the 2020 offers crimson cherry, wild strawberry, pomegranate, rose petals and citrus zest on silky tannins, with twenty years or more of cellaring potential.
The single-parcel “Madonna delle Grazie”, from north-facing vines over 40 years old, is a cult icon and one of the greatest wines in the world, weightless yet infinite, smelling of rose petals and iron.
Wine Reviews for Il Marroneto
2020 Il Marroneto “Madonna Delle Grazie” Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
If 2019 was operatic and 2020 was sunny, 2021 is the year of transparency. This is a vintage that vibrates with energy, defined by significant diurnal shifts that locked in soaring aromatics and “al dente” fruit profiles. Moving away from sheer muscle, the 2021 Brunellos are architectural and nervy, showcasing a savory, saline grip that speaks clearly of the Montalcino soil. For the collector who values elegance and tension over weight, this is a sophisticated, “intellectual” vintage that promises a fascinating evolution in the cellar.
