Wine Advisor
Casanova di Neri, Brunello di Montalcino 2004
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Description
Casanova di Neri proudly produces the White Label Brunello since 1978. Their passion and love for the land and their own distinctive Sangiovese joined together to make a wine that stands out for elegance, finesse, high quality and long ageing potential.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is a big, fruit-driven wine. Made in a concentrated, opulent style, this Brunello offers tons of fruit and a round, soft personality. There isn’t too much nuance in the wine today, but that should develop in bottle. The long, polished finish invites a second taste. For now, this remains one of the more overtly fruit-forward wines of the vintage. The entry-level Brunello spends roughly 40 months in large, neutral oak. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2019. Giacomo Neri is one of Montalcino’s more gregarious producers. His passion clearly comes through in these wines, which are characterized by an emphasis on fruit and opulence. Neri’s Brunellos also make a great case study in the different microclimates of Montalcino. His straight Brunello di Montalcino is made from vineyards ranging from 350-480 meters in altitude located in the northeastern quadrant of the region. The Tenuta Nuova is made from a densely-planted vineyard located roughly in between Sant’Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell’Abate, in the southern part of the zone. The vines in the north typically flower three weeks later than those in the south, and naturally ripen later as well, which serves to highlight some of the differences between Montalcino’s various microclimates. Neri’s 2004 Brunellos are immensely successful. I look forward with great anticipation to the 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto, which should be released some time next year. Importer: Dalla Terra, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Time has not been kind to the 2004 Brunello di Montalcino. Leather, mushrooms, smoke, cedar, licorice, dried cherry iron - all signs of a fully mature wine - are front and center. Although there is plenty of depth and richness to the fruit, the 2004 has not aged well, especially in its aromatics. There is little finesse or elegance at all to speak of. Both bottles I tasted, one at the winery and one from my cellar, were disappointing. Granted, this is the estate's entry-level bottling, but I expected more in a vintage with this pedigree.
About the Producer
Casanova di Neri is founded by Giovanni Neri, a 48-year-old grain merchant from the town of Montevarchi in the Arno valley south of Florence. Passionate about wine, Neri had long dreamed of making a great Italian red, and although the long-established wine zone of Chianti Classico was just on his doorstep, it was remote Montalcino and its austere Sangiovese wines that fascinated him. Brunello di Montalcino had achieved DOC (controlled origin) status just four years previously, and there were still only around thirty producers in the whole area, compared to more than 250 today. One rural property on the market had caught Neri’s attention during his frequent forays to Montalcino: Podere Casanova, a working farm of around 200 hectares on the eastern side of town. Wine represented only a small part of the farm’s production at the time, and what was made was sold in bulk, but Neri recognized that thanks to its altitude, aspect and soil composition, the place had the potential to make great Brunellos. In May 1971, he bought Podere Casanova, changed its name to Casanova di Neri, and in consultation with some of Tuscany’s leading winemakers, immediately began work to restore the estate’s existing Sangiovese vines and plant new ones.
