2016 Il Marroneto Brunello

Madonna Delle Grazie

 

100 WA / 99 VM 

Very Limited - In Stock

$319.89 Buy Now

 

Rarely do we see a wine that rates as top wine of the vintage for both The Wine Advocate and Vinous Media 

 

Il Marroneto was founded in 1974 by Giuseppe Mori. Son Alessandro Mori joined the estate immediately, creating the first vintage in 1980. The estate is located in the higher elevations of the cooler northern zone of Montalcino, and is one of the older estates in the appellation. Traditional in style and adhering to a philosophy of minimal intervention in the vineyard and cellar, Il Marroneto foregoes conventional methods. Focusing on the health of the vine through spacing and nutrient-rich topsoil, Mori eschews the use of chemicals, allows only native ferments and ages in large oak cask.

 

Alessandro Mori’s Brunellos are some of the most long-lived in Montalcino. Madonna delle Grazie is the 13th century church on the estate for which it takes its name. The estate’s 5.8 hectares have been planted in stages: The first 10% in the 1975, an additional 10% in the 1977, and the rest in the winter between 1982-1983. 

 

This wine is produced from a special selection of Sangiovese to create the estate’s “grand cru” Brunello. 

                      

 

 
 
2016 Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie 

$319.89/bottle (In Stock) Buy Now

100 WA / 99 VM 

 

There it is: that Il Marroneto magic. To my palate, Alessandro Mori's 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie best captures the soaring spirit and ambition of Brunello, made in its purest and most naked form. This vintage is a twin sibling to the 2010 that I awarded a perfect score. Whereas that wine surprised me, appearing with so much unexpected radiance and brilliance, this wine won me over in a more careful, less emotional and more contemplative manner. Having now tasted the 2010 vintage multiple times, I better know what to expect in terms of the near-term aging evolution of the 2016. I know that the laser-sharp purity of the fruit will soften, leading to more nuanced and finessed tones of underbrush, lilac, iron ore and candied orange peel over the next five years. This wine unfolds to show deep complexity up front with buoyant and jovial red fruit at its core. It vibrates with electric energy and charm. Monica Larner – The Wine Advocate

 

Simply put, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie is spellbinding. It’s wonderfully primary and intense. You could lose yourself in this vivid display of crushed ripe berries with sweet mint and zests of orange peel, dusted in confectioners’ and autumnal spice. It soothes with its velvety textures, coating all that it touches in masses of dark red fruit, liquid violet florals, notes of lavender and sage. Currently, the 2016 is youthfully dense yet so complex, almost salty and savory at times, while nearly enveloping its fine tannic structure right up until the end. This is a classic in the making and one of the most complete young Brunellos I’ve ever tasted. This bottle was revisited over the course of two days and only got better with each taste. Eric Guido - Vinous Media

 

Also Available:

 

2016 Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino

$89.89/bottle (In Stock) Buy Now

98 WE / 96 WA / 96 JD /  95 VM / 95 DE / 18 JR

 

Perfumed, focused and loaded with energy, this radiant red boasts enticing scents of iris, rose, crushed mint and wild berry. Boasting ethereal elegance as well as intensity and flavor, the chiseled palate has great fruit purity, delivering juicy red cherry, spiced cranberry, star anise and white pepper. Noble tannins and bright acidity provide balance and an ageworthy framework. Drink 2024–2046. Kerin O’Keefe - Wine Enthusiast

 

Out of the gate, the Il Marroneto 2016 Brunello di Montalcino shows exciting purity and red fruit intensity. Compared to the Madonna delle Grazie, this wine has an ever-more lifted quality to the bouquet, whereas the Madonna has a firmer underlying texture that bodes well for longer aging. The character here is fresh, lively, youthful and vibrant. In fact, I would recommend drinking this wine while all those elements are still intact. The bouquet is crazy fun to describe: I get whiffs of black cherry, macchia mediterranea (which is not too different from what we call chaparral in California), peppercorn, dried cranberry and even a whiff of something that reminded me of the delicious rosemary herb mix you stuff inside roast porchetta. The base of the wine is light, almost weightless, but its structure and firmness do eventually catch up on the long finish. Mon ica Larner – The Wine Advocate

 

2015 Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino

$79.89/bottle (In Stock) Buy Now

98 WE / 96+ WA / 95 WS / 94 DE 

 

Fragrant and loaded with finesse, this perfumed red features enticing scents of woodland berry, pine forest, violet, underbrush and a whiff of sandalwood. Elegantly structured, it's tantalizingly ethereal, delivering juicy red cherry, strawberry, black tea, licorice and a pronounced mineral note evoking rusty iron alongside tightly knit, refined tannins. It's surprisingly vibrant for the hot vintage and still youthfully austere, but that's a good thing as it shows great aging potential. Drink 2025–2035. Kerin O’Keefe - Wine Enthusiast

 

You just can't beat the purity of the bouquet here: cherries, red licorice, blue flowers and currants. It's all stunning. Il Marroneto's 2015 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a light garnet color with faint ruby highlights. The wine never veers from its lanes, sticking to an absolutely traditional and fresh expression from the appellation. It offers a lean to medium-weight mouthfeel with radiant fruit flavors—think pure cherry fruit. Fruit is harvested from a five-hectare parcel at 300 meters above sea level with calcareous sand and Galestro soils. These conditions lead to the aromatic intensity of the wine, and that's the main takeaway in this classic vintage. There is a moment of softness that expands quickly over the palate. These results are graceful and gorgeous. Some 23,569 bottles were made. This wine was bottled in June 2019, and it hit the market in January 2020. Monical Larner – The Wine Advocate

  

 

 

Sincerely,

Ron van Vlaardingen  
Fine Wine Sales Director

Grand Vin Wine Merchants

1003 4th Avenue E  | Olympia, WA  98506 | Office: 360.350.4896 x 2

www.grandvinwinemerchants.com | ronv@grandvinwinemerchants.com 

 
 
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Grand Vin Wine Merchants · 1003 4th Ave East · Olympia, Washington 98506 · United States (360) 350-4896