Wine Advisor
Casanova di Neri, Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto 2012
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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 The 2012 Cerretalto is a wine with a strong charisma, in which the main traits of every Cerretalto joined together: richness, pleasantness together with freshness and elegance. It shows a very young and brilliant ruby red. The nose is mineral and charismatic, with an intense red fruit melted with chocolate, liquorice and followed by hints of citrus, smoky notes and the unmistakable graphite. Long and wide in the mouth, this wine has a thick and dense tannic texture enhanced by the finesse and silkiness. Endless aftertaste. It should be opened 3 hours in advance at the right service temperature. Vintage Notes 2012 winter was considered mild until February, when snow and frost hit the area quite heavily. Those conditions provided some water storage in the ground for the rest of the growing season and let the grapes ripen slowly and regularly. Spring and summer were quite dry meaning lower yields compared to previous vintages.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
Vivid red with a pale rim. Tight, pure aromas of black fruits, potpourri, black pepper, roast coffee and graphite. Dense, tactile and rich, conveying a multilayered texture and very good lift to the super-ripe, super-concentrated blackberry and red cherry fruit. Impeccably balanced, this rather plush wine is most impressive today on the very long, suavely tannic finish that features repeating herbal notes. I have never been a fan of the Cerretalto, and have truly disliked even some famous vintages of this wine scored very highly by other wine critics, but it’s hard to argue with the 2013 Cerretalto, another outstanding Brunello released by owner Giacomo Neri this year.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto offers a prolonged, flowing and carefully massaged drinking experience that drapes over the senses with some studied intensity and lots of intriguing complexity. This wine nails that perfect balance between power and elegance (that elusive exchange that so many winemakers hope to achieve) with effortless precision. Bold cherry fruit and spice are tightly woven together. In the mouth, the wine shows texture, depth and succulence. Generally speaking, this is not my favorite vintage in Montalcino, but this wine suddenly made me forget that thought.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto offers a prolonged, flowing and carefully massaged drinking experience that drapes over the senses with some studied intensity and lots of intriguing complexity. This wine nails that perfect balance between power and elegance (that elusive exchange that so many winemakers hope to achieve) with effortless precision. Bold cherry fruit and spice are tightly woven together. In the mouth, the wine shows texture, depth and succulence. Generally speaking, this is not my favorite vintage in Montalcino, but this wine suddenly made me forget that thought.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
The density is so impressive in this great single-vineyard wine of Casanova. It's full yet agile at the same time. Shows such integrated tannins and fresh acidity at the finish. Energized and focused. Tangy and citrusy. Mineral undertone. One of the great Brunellos of 2012. Better in 2022.
Reviewed by: Ian D'Agata
Vivid red with a pale rim. Tight, pure aromas of black fruits, potpourri, black pepper, roast coffee and graphite. Dense, tactile and rich, conveying a multilayered texture and very good lift to the super-ripe, super-concentrated blackberry and red cherry fruit. Impeccably balanced, this rather plush wine is most impressive today on the very long, suavely tannic finish that features repeating herbal notes. I have never been a fan of the Cerretalto, and have truly disliked even some famous vintages of this wine scored very highly by other wine critics, but it’s hard to argue with the 2013 Cerretalto, another outstanding Brunello released by owner Giacomo Neri this year.
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.
