Brunello Riserva Madonna Delle Grazie 2013

Brunello di Montalcino / Il Marroneto

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1 150cl Magnum Case 6 £720 per Btl Bottle [Add to shopping basket]
Tasting Notes

The stunning 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna Delle Grazie is a protagonist of the vintage. This growing season has produced a collection of iconic wines, and to my palate none is more impressive than this. This is the first time Alessandro Mori has produced a riserva. He did so because he "fell in love with a single barrel" as he puts it. That botte was left to age for an additional year (for a total of 41 months) and once bottled, it produced 1,700 magnums and 66 750-milliliter bottles. I had preview tasted this wine from botte last year, and this review is based on a tasting of one of those 750-milliliter samples. This unique riserva opens to a beautifully saturated and dark ruby hue. The wine presents an even sequence of aromas that segues from dark forest fruit to balsam herb and crushed rock. The careful balance of aromas is impeccable. The wine is robust and firmly textured, with a bright culmination of Sangiovese acidity that adds overall radiance and brilliance. It has all the criteria necessary for a long and successful aging trajectory. I struggled to score this wine and the only reason it fell short of a perfect score is because I have the memory of the stunning 2010 vintage so clear in my mind.

Score: 99

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2045 31 January 2019

This is a wine that does not exist, legally speaking. It won't be released until early 2019, and therefore, technically it can not carry the name Brunello yet. Nor does this wine exist in the long portfolio of Il Marroneto's releases. This review represents an unfinished barrel sample. Alessandro Mori has never made a Riserva from his celebrated single-vineyard cru that sits just under the Madonna delle Grazie chapel above his winery. In fact, the concept mirrors that of Montevertine's 1990 Le Pergole Torte Riserva that was only ever produced one time. Il Marroneto's 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna Delle Grazie is a spectacular creation. And it, too, will only be made once I am told. It comes from a single cask that Alessandro identified as the best of the bunch. When I visited him, he was not yet sure whether to bottle it in 750 milliliter bottles or magnums, just because quantity is so severely reduced. I tasted this wine alongside the non-Riserva expression from the same vintage. This Riserva is deeper, more profound and tightly laced with fine notes of dark mineral and balsam herb. The other wine, its little brother, is more immediate and softer in comparison. This wine will benefit from an extra year in the bottle that will take it through the warm summer months. It's already explosive now, but I expect it to be even more intense and complete when it has finished its long journey through the winery. Something special is in the pipes. The big news from Alessandro Mori this year is that we can expect a 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna Delle Grazie coming soon. Il Marroneto has never made a Riserva before, and I am told this will be a one-time occurrence.

Score: 97 - 100

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2023-2050 28 February 2018