Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino 2020

A restrained wine that’s complex and deep, with aromas of cherry stones, butter, fresh violets, orange peel and prunes. Firm tannins with a grainy texture, yet it has a sweet finish, super-energetic acidity and a full body. Flavors of blood oranges and violets. Perfect balance and incredible aging potential. A super classic. Drink or hold.

‘I'd never seen the green [of the vegetation] like that before’, remarks Alessandro Mori of 2020, putting the vibrancy of the colour down to less pollution as the population remained in their homes. Calling 2020 an easy vintage, much like 2016, the estate now practices accapamento – a ‘wall’ of leaves which act to shade the bunches and also take up some resources, causing the vine to struggle slightly more. There's great freshness here, with coiled potency of vibrant plum and sour and dark cherry at the ripe core. A lick of salinity and a brush of wood accompany silky tannins. One of very few 2020s I have tasted which may be an improvement on the stunning 2019s. Time will tell.

The Il Marroneto 2020 Brunello di Montalcino is a wine of special depth and elegance. Alessandro Mori tells me that fermentation in 2020 proceeded nicely with what he describes as a "primordial stew" of grape must, resulting in high pressure "geysers" or "liquid bombs" that rip right through the cap because of pressure build-up. Someone is having tons of fun in the winery. High temperatures (between 36 to 38 degrees Celsius) serve to fix the wine's ruby color and the elegance of its perfumes, which are more floral than fruity. At the end of fermentation, he manages the skins with light wetting by hand with a tube. This vintage offers softness and a silky texture that feels glossy to the palate.