Wine Advisor
Casanova di Neri, Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto 2001
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Description
Cerretalto is a special blend of intuition, passion and vision – the hallmark of all Casanova di Neri’s work. The grapes hail mainly from a vineyard situated in a natural amphitheatre alongside a small river. The prized white truffles which grow in our private truffle reserve here bear witness to the purity of this environment. Soil rich in minerals, a very particular microclimate and low yield per plant coupled with our experience, dedication and passion for our work in the vineyard and in the cellar make Cerretalto a wine of immense character and harmonious structure. It's a wine of exceptional quality, personality and inimitable style – the perfect expression of the territory that nurtures it, the distillation of our idea of what a great Brunello should be. Cerretalto is a wine of outstanding character. Its uniqueness lies in the aroma’s graphite notes and sanguine undertones, and the extraordinary length and persistence of flavour on the palate. Its collection of accolades is incredible and unmatched: 100/100 Wine Advocate, 100/100 Wine Spectator, 100/100 James Suckling, 100/100 Falstaff, 100/100 Luca Gardini, 100/100 International Wine Report, 100/100 Wine Enthusiast.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Back in its day, the 2001 vintage was somewhat underrated. The local growers' association gave it four stars (out of a total of five) in a self-policing system that has always been extremely generous toward the appellation. Tasted from magnum, the 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto smells and tastes like it comes from a five-star vintage, determined as such by the most discerning critics. This wine meets the tallest expectations and surprises the skeptics. It opens to seamless integration with dried fruit aromas that slowly merge into soft spice and tobacco. In the mouth, the wine shows beautiful suppleness and firmness. The 2001 vintage saw reduced yields because of freezing temperatures on Easter night. This led to very small and concentrated berries and high quality.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Proprietor Giacomo Neri has turned out another terrific Brunello in his 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto. Made in a jam-packed style, this deeply-colored wine explodes from the glass with the essence of blackberries, smoke, tar, chocolate and sweet toasted oak, showing outstanding length and ripe tannins. It is a big, plush Brunello to cellar for a year or two and drink over the following decade. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019. Importer: Dalla Terra, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Back in its day, the 2001 vintage was somewhat underrated. The local growers' association gave it four stars (out of a total of five) in a self-policing system that has always been extremely generous toward the appellation. Tasted from magnum, the 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto smells and tastes like it comes from a five-star vintage, determined as such by the most discerning critics. This wine meets the tallest expectations and surprises the skeptics. It opens to seamless integration with dried fruit aromas that slowly merge into soft spice and tobacco. In the mouth, the wine shows beautiful suppleness and firmness. The 2001 vintage saw reduced yields because of freezing temperatures on Easter night. This led to very small and concentrated berries and high quality.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
An intoxicating nose of freshly cut flowers, cedar, and bright fruit. Full and very tight. Very long, with layers and layers of beautiful fruit in restraint. Mounds of complexity with incredible depth, finesse, and power. This is very nice.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Fabulous. Breathtaking nose with aromas of dark berries, aniseed, meat, and mint. Full and soft with such beauty. The tannins are totally resolved now and caress the palate. Lasts for minutes on the palate. Phenomenal. Decanted about two hours before serving. A wine that I originally scored 100 points and it remains a perfect wine. A beautiful Brunello for current drinking now – finally.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
The nose of the wine was breathtaking with aromas of dark berries, aniseed, meat, and mint. It was full and soft with such beauty. The tannins were totally resolved now and caressed the palate. It lasted for minutes on the palate. It was phenomenal. It was decanted about two hours before serving.
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.
