Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie Il Marroneto 2021 (750ML)

95-98 Points, Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com: "Three selections were made in this vintage that will go into the blend for the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino Madonna Delle Grazie in final production. It is a noble and potent expression and takes on significantly more structure and potency. Here again, it retains driving energetic tension of acidity and freshness.This was my first time visiting the Il Marroneto estate, and everything I tasted there was from barrels, led by winemaker Alessandro Mori’s son, Iacopo, while the 2018s were tasted from bottle back home in New York. The winery was established in 1974, when Alessandro’s father, who was originally from Siena, was looking to create a small winery. He was encouraged by a priest in Montalcino to take a look at a church property on the northern side of the town, with its exposition overlooking Siena, and found the home for his winery. Today, the Mori family’s approach to the vineyard and the winery remains traditional in that they work by more natural methods of temperature control, they do not implement green harvesting of the vines, and they do not work the soil, looking for nature itself to create its selection. The ground here is 75% sand, the ideal soil for Sangiovese. Today they own eight hectares of vineyard, with their prime holdings just outside the winery, the two hectares that make up Modanna delle Grazie, at 440 meters above sea level. All of their vineyards have a northern exposition, which is important for the cold winds in the early evening and through the night." 03/23

98 Points, Eric Guido, Vinous: "The 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie dazzles with a beguiling display of dried strawberries, spiced blood orange, cinnamon, mint and crushed stones. It is harmonious throughout, with textures of pure silk, a subtle inner sweetness and tantalizing acidity that offsets its penetrating core of tart cherry and blackberry. The 2021 leaves a chewy sensation and an array of sweet tannins that pinch at the cheeks as an air of rosy inner florals mixes with hints of Earl Grey and spice. In 2021, Madonna delle Grazie has taken on a whole new identity, relying more on beauty than power." 11/25

100 Points, Aldo Fiordelli, JamesSuckling.com: "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." 10/25