2021 Rosso di Montalcino Ignaccio

The two Rossos here both pour a jeweled ruby color, and the 2021 Rosso Di Montalcino Ignaccio is the more open and expressive of the two aromatically at this stage, with aromas of grenadine, candied flowers, cocoa, fresh tobacco leaf, and fresh wild herbs. (Its very distinctive nose actually defies description.) Juicy and inviting on the palate, it’s medium-bodied, with sweet tannins and a long finish. It’s only going to improve if given a chance, and although I love its juicy primary fruit now, it is worth holding on to and cellaring over the next 10-15 years. Drink 2025-2035. Il Marroneto was established in 1974 by Alessandro Mori, who today is joined by his son Iacopo as winemaker. Originally from Siena, Alessandro was looking to create a small winery and 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. It was there he 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 sitting 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.