Resplendent Rosso

~ Old meets New in Marroneto's Cellars ~

Resplendent:  Shining brilliantly, dazzling in appearance.  Certainly apt.

 

Il Marroneto was purchased in 1974 by Giuseppe Mori and is now run by his son, Alessandro.  To drink Alessandro's wines is to meet him. As his wife Lucia has told me,  he pours his soul into each bottle.  The collaborative nature of man and wine is best personified in this quote:   

 

"Alessandro and his wines blend to the point that the man and his wine don’t seem to share a sharp boundary.  Maybe theirs is an empathy, a way of living and sharing the moments of life.  A coexistence in which there are alternating moments of love, moments of confrontation, and moments of comfort… until you get to say that one would not be the same without the other."

I commented last night on Twitter (@TuscanVines) that I would review a wine today that may be the best of it's type that I've had in many years.  The perfect sembiosis has melded tranquilly to form this transcendent beverage.  A winemaker so in tune with his craft, a splendid, if not perfect vintage and a great estate.

 

The 2010 Il Marroneto Rosso di Montalcino "Ignaccio" is superlative.  By Il Marroneto's own admission,  they vinify, treat, and care for this wine as though it were a Brunello - but simply born from fruit of younger vines.   The wine is a deep ruby in color with a brilliantly shimmering iodine rim.  Explosive aromas of freshly crushed wild cherry, Tuscan herbs, flowers and slight tobacco are intricately woven.  It's lovely to smell, swirl and reflect. 

 

On the palate, the wine is delicious.  The goal here is evident and it has been attained.  Vintages aside, and I recognize clearly that 2010 is far bettter than 2009 - however, this Rosso is more impressive and more substantial than many of the 2009 Brunello I've tasted for my upcoming report. 

 

Clear, full bodied flavors of wild red fruits, Tuscan brush, piney tobacco, anise and espresso merge in a harmonic display that cascades over your palate.  Ripe and concentrated, with lots of silky tannins and acids in wonderful balance, the wine finishes cleanly and leaves you wanting more.  This is simply wonderful.  93 points (easy) and a tremendous value between $20-$25.  Disclosure:  This bottle was an importer provided sample.

 

 

~ Note on the Label:  Some of the tasters found it to be "creepy".  However, interestingly, it has two meanings.  The first, is that the wine is born of the land and man's hands transform what earth provides.  The second, is personified by this quote:  "The creative soul of Alessandro would fly in the air if there was not Lucia, active heart of the company, to bring him into this world."  ~

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