Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie 2003

Dried cherry, menthol, pine resin and a faint trace of iron. Softer than a typical Madonna delle Grazie, the warmth of 2003 rounding out what can be a more austere wine, yet the acidity holds its ground, keeping things fresher and livelier than you'd expect at this age. The mid-palate carries ripe red fruit over a fine mineral backbone, with licorice and firm tannins gradually softening through the close. It doesn't have the layered complexity of a cooler vintage, but it's well-balanced and genuinely enjoyable, an honest expression of a difficult year.