MAGNUM En Primeur In Bond per 1x150cl
"Monica Larner, robertparker.com 96/100
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. Drink 2024 - 2044"
Stretching over a tiny 9 hectares, Il Marroneto is owned by the charismatic Alessandro Mori. Son of lawyer Giuseppe Mori, Alessandro gave up his law career to make Brunello full time in 1994. A self-proclaimed traditionalist, he believes Brunello should always be age-worthy and full of energy, supported by a hallmark vein of acidity. In this context, it is then not surprising that the wines of Il Marroneto are some of the most elegant and age-worthy Brunello in Montalcino, demonstrating extraordinary breeding and grace.
The estate takes its name from a medieval tower dating back to the 13th century where the nuns (that lived in the Madonna delle Grazie convent) stored chestnuts used to make flour for bread. The vineyard lies at 400 meters above sea level, and the soils are an intricate mix of mostly sand large stone of limestone and Galestro.
Eric Guido, Vinous.com
Warm but never hot, 2016 is often described as having very even temperatures and no dramatic swings, other than the strong diurnal shifts between day and night, which helped in the healthy maturation of fruit. The autumn months and into harvest continued this theme, with temperate and dry conditions, save for a large rainstorm in the middle of September. Producers in warmer locales picked just prior to these rains, while others were able to comfortably wait for dry conditions to return. There is still remarkable value to be found in Brunello; and with a vintage like 2016 in front of us, consumers are in for a real treat. Nov 2020
