Il Marroneto

Bright red. Enticing aromas of sour cherry, aromatic herbal spice and violets are lifted by a tangy minerality. On the palate, fresh, pure flavors of sour cherry, currant and minerals - paired with an invigorating acid wire- delight. Finishing friendly and long, Ignaccio is wonderfully personable with its floral and mineral notes. A Rosso that skilfully plays off its exposure with freshness, elegance and minerality, making it (not just for us) undisputedly one of the best in its denomination. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2018 Rosso di Montalcino Ignaccio is flat-out delicious with a woodland and almost-autumnal profile. Wild strawberries, blueberries, lavender and sage mix with hints of cinnamon and flowery undergrowth. It’s silky-smooth, almost velvety in feel yet perfectly balanced and full of life, displaying ripe wild berry fruit and inner violet florals. There’s enough structure here to carry the 2018 for a number of years in the cellar, but who can keep their hands off of it today? Alessandro Mori selects his Rosso from the same barrels he uses to make Brunello, yet after only a year of aging." Vinous

"Fiercely traditional and a consistently good craftsman of wine, Alessandro Mori is becoming one of Montalcino's top producers for its globally recognised cru, 'Madonna delle Grazie'. His Rosso, Ignaccio is no less detail-oriented. This wine is usually made from declassified estate Brunello, grown on the northern side of the village where it is cooler, and situated on some of the oldest limestone soil in Montalcino. This 2018 is an intoxicating Rosso with purity of fresh raspberry, yellow gentian and star anise. There is cherry fruit in depth, with great savouriness over the palate. The tannins are firm and chalky - typical of Sangiovese from cooler areas - without any bitterness, while the acidity pushes the fruit to an outstanding orange peel finish." Decanter

Famous 2013er Brunello, classic and of best quality. Rich and complex bouquet, dense and juicy on the palate. The aromatic fullness of fruit, silky tannins, well portioned acidity, excellent structure and length provide the greatest pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

"Shiny, rich ruby garnet. Opened with notes of tobacco and cinchona bark, then cherry, in the background cloves and roses. Hearty and gripping, it shows itself with a grippy tannin, earthy notes at the back, exciting, juicy and long". Falstaff

"Lustrous mid ruby with orange tinges. Fresh cherry nose with hints of herbs. Juicy sweet cherry palate with lots of powdery tannins. Medium-bodied, supple, complex and long." Jancis Robinson

"Il Marroneto's 2013 Brunello di Montalcino is a beautiful wine and one that invites you to partake in a long evening of good food and even better company. This is a deeply convivial expression of Sangiovese that offers just a glimmer of much-needed informality and coziness to guarantee comfort. But make no mistake, this Brunello reminds you of its pedigree and precision as well. The bouquet opens to white cherry, fragrant rose blossom and violets. The finish is smooth and pliable, with graceful endnotes of smoke and crushed mineral." Robert Parker

"Alessandro Mori's Il Marroneto estate is located in the northern part of the zone, reaching up to an altitude of 400 metres. It comprises 6ha of vines planted between 1975 and 1984, on mineral-rich marine sand. The 2013 exhibits marvelous precision and purity, with scented nuances of violet and forest blossoms overlaying tea and dark earth. Succulent acidity keeps the wine brisk, while tightly wound tannins need time to come around. A standout." Decanter

"Bright red. The intense note of violet on the nose is absolutely captivating and nicely lifts the aromas of sweet red cherry and aromatic oils. Then very rich, dense and juicy, conveying a seamless quality to its multilayered orchard fruit, spicy red berry and mineral flavors. The exhilarating finish echoes with lingering and repeating floral and mineral notes nicely extended by lipsmacking but harmonious acidity. Classic vintages such as the 2013 really showcase Il Marroneto’s magnificent terroir to its fullest capacity; in these vintages, talented Alessandro Mori produces sleek, refined Brunellos that are true benchmarks of Sangiovese in Montalcino. Very well done." Ian d’Agata (vinous.com)

Beautifully mature and intense, but never exaggerated or too heavy, the Brunello of Il Marroneto present themselves. In fact, the 2014 edition is also almost on tiptoe with our senses and convinces with delicate tones of rose petals, wild berries, white cherries, balsamic herbs and sweet almonds. The main message of this wine is elegance, and this specimen is an archetype on this parquet floor, abundantly difficult in the 2014 vintage. The mouthfeel is firm, silky and persistent. Delicate mineral notes lend precision and definition to the long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"Starts with seductive raspberry-leather aroma; robust in the mouth, hearty tannins, good acidity, full of melt and length. Convinces with its powerful-elegant cut." Vinum

"Healthy medium dark red. Musky nuances to the aromas of redcurrant, herbs, violet and earth. Fresh and pliant on the palate, with a touch of sweetness and sneaky complexity to its red plum, redcurrant and soil flavors. Finishes with sweet but firm tannins and outstanding length." Vinous

"Proprietor Alessandro Mori compares the 2014 vintage to 1989: another slender year which evolved slowly to eventually reveal intensely floral aromas. For the 2014, he made five separate passages in order to harvest grapes at their optimal ripeness. He didn't produce a separate Madonna delle Grazie bottling this time around. The resulting wine opens up gradually to reveal plum and cherry blossoms, rosehip, anise and forest berries. The palate is mineral-driven and lifted by tangy acidity. This wine demonstrates substantial power relative to many of its peers yet retains the elegance of the vintage. Very Brunello-esque." Decanter

"One of the few ageworthy wines of the vintage, this radiant red boasts enticing scents of chopped mint, wild berry, tilled soil and pipe tobacco. It's linear, alluring and ethereally elegant, delivering juicy strawberry, red cherry, thyme and white pepper framed in taut refined tannins and racy acidity. It's still youthfully austere but loaded with finesse and a crystalline purity. Give it time to fully develop." (Cellar Selection) Wine Enthusiast

Silky, open and graceful, it captivates with outstanding elegance and the finesse typical of Montalcino's northern sector. Rose petals, sweet red berries and graceful, minty notes grace the palate in a sensual, silky Brunello that exudes its class and pedigree with the first sip. The traditional Marroneto style of fine-grained tannin and subtle saline notes assert themselves on the finish - but what is most compelling is the interplay of classic structure, extract sweetness and the class of the vintage. Great final - great ageing potential - great wine! SUPERIORE.DE

"Sparkling, medium dense ruby garnet. Very charming, open nose, shows notes of pomegranate, blood oranges and juicy cherries, some leather in the background. Gripping tannin, embedded in sweet melting, salty and juicy, builds up for a long time, then long final, great wine!" Falstaff

"Il Marroneto's 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a delicate and heavenly, perfumed beauty. Roses mix with lilac and violets before giving way to a dusting of sweet spice, nuances of plum and white strawberries. It's wonderfully pure, seeming almost weightless at times yet with gorgeous inner sweetness and a complex display of bright red fruits laced with minerals, hints of licorice and building florality. The long and classically structured finish guarantees that no matter how enjoyable this may be today, it will only get better." Vinous

"Owner and winemaker Alessandro Mori calls himself a naturalista. His wines ferment spontaneously with indigenous years and see long ageing in large old oak casks. He allows the natural temperatures of the cellar to guide the wine's refinement and uses minimal sulphur throughout. Along with all of its signature floral fragrances of rose and violet, ll Marroneto's 2016 is positively spicy with a peppery, juniper snap. It sits lightly on the palate while delivering profound flavour and length. Clean and bright, distinct notes of rosehip and raspberry ring out while refined tannins sneak up with textured chalkiness." Decanter

"Out of the gate, the Il Marroneto 2016 Brunello di Montalcino shows exciting purity and red fruit intensity. 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, 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." Robert Parker

"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." Wine Enthusiast

Is this the best Brunello from Montalcino's exceptional 2016 vintage? It stalks the connoisseur like a cat, always on the move and yet disciplined, modest and aristocratic to the highest degree, with a radiance and perfection that is unparalleled. When this wine enters the glass, there is simply silence in the room. After a few minutes of aeration, its bouquet exudes probably the purest and most purist form of Sangiovese, combined with numerous hints of grenadine, cassis, jasmine and a mysterious, exotic note. Perfectly structured on the palate, everything is in its place and you can almost taste that the grape material was perfect and hand-picked. With each sip, it becomes more complete and, in addition, reveals - wonderfully fine and subtly layered - ever new taste experiences that will continue to increase in smoothness and complexity as the wine matures in the bottle. SUPERIORE.DE

"Sparkling, powerful ruby. Lots of fresh and present fruit, full of dark cherries, pomegranate and fresh leather. Opens up on the palate with lots of present, fine-meshed tannin spans a wide arc, very juicy and long in the finish." Falstaff

"Trying Il Marroneto's various lots from cask is a fascinating exercise. They are all similarly located at high altitude, on coarse sand of marine origin and predominantly north facing. While they demonstrate subtle differences, Madonna delle Grazie's distinct character often merits a separate bottling - as evidenced by the 2016. Aromas take on the darkest, most heady purple flowers tangled up in allspice and smoky incense. It is muscular in frame with firm tannins that stick and grip and don't let go, although it's never brawny, heavy or hard-edged. Currently a mouthful of stones, it reveals a balsamic core and tangy salted plum on the finish." Decanter

"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." Vinous

"This dazzling wine is for Sangiovese purists and fans of extreme finesse. Opening with tantalizing aromas of rose, violet, berry, tilled earth and new leather, it's youthfully intense but already a classic. Focused, structured and radiant, the chiseled palate delivers cherry, raspberry, licorice and crushed mint before a tobacco close. Taut, refined tannins and bright acidity keep it perfectly balanced." Wine Enthusiast

"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." Robert Parker