Wine Advisor
Casanova di Neri, Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2005
View analysis
Description
Tenuta Nuova is a pioneering and visionary vineyard project emboding the belief and passion of Casanova di Neri. Tenuta Nuova means new property; Tenuta Nuova is a place where nobody planted Sangiovese before; Tenuta Nuova is the will of Casanova di Neri to produce a powerful yet drinkable Brunello with a high ageing potential. The project began with the study of varied local microclimates and their optimal exposures. Through a cautious and passionate research Casanova di Neri has used the most sophisticated scientific investigations to determine the clones, rootstocks, cultivation practices, plant density per hectare and every possible particular to obtain excellent Sangiovese grapes.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is quite a bit darker and richer than the straight Brunello. Cherries, plums, spices and French oak meld together beautifully in this silky, textured red. In 2005 the Tenuta Nuova boasts fabulous overall balance in a fairly restrained style for this bottling. Kirsch, roses and spices linger on the dark, enveloping finish. This is a terrific effort from Casanova di Neri. The Tenuta Nuova is made from vineyards in Le Cetine and Pietradonice, both located in the southern part of Montalcino. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022. Proprietor Giacomo Neri makes some of the richest, most textured Brunellos readers will come across. The house style favors a lush expression of fruit with a softness that makes the wines very appealing upon release. In recent years the wines have become more elegant, with less of the excessive heaviness that characterized prior vintages. Based on what I tasted from barrel, future vintages hold quite a bit of promise as well. This year, readers – especially those on a budget (who isn’t on a budget these days?) should focus on the 2005 Brunello di Montalcino (sometimes also known as the ‘white label’), which is an overachiever because it includes fruit from the Cerretalto vineyard, the source of the estate’s top wine, which was not bottled in 2005. Importer: Dalla Terra, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova opens to a slightly herbal bouquet with balsam and medicinal tones. You get a good amount of smaller fruit detailing with wild berry, sour cherry and blackberry. Savory tobacco and leather fill in the rear. This was the first vintage to be made in Casanova di Neri's new refurbished winery. This Brunello stands out for its elegance and silkiness. The mouthfeel is gracefully silky and smooth.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Casanova di Neri's 2005 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is one of the revelations of the vintage, as it has aged well. Today, there is little question the 2005 Tenuta Nuova is superior to the 2004. Freshly cut flowers, mint, graphite and dark red stone fruits are all super-expressive in the glass. This is a fabulous showing for the Tenuta Nuova in a challenging vintage. The 2005 will drink well for at least a handful of years.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
It may not be 2004, but this is a rich and dense wine with lots of blueberry and dried berry. Full bodied, with lovely combination of fruit and lightly toasted oak. Enjoy now or let it age for a few years.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Very fresh for a 2005 with dense fruit and silky tannins. Not the same depth of fruit of the 2004 or the 2006 for that matter, but it is clearly one of the best 2005’s in my opinion. I suggest another couple of years of cellar age. Great finesse, richness, and freshness for the vintage.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A layered and rich red with dark berries, plums and a chocolate character. Full body, round and velvety tannins and a dusty texture. Medium acidity, too. A Brunello with beautiful length and intensity. Drink now!
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is quite bit darker and richer than the straight Brunello. Cherries, plums, spices and French oak meld together beautifully in this silky, textured red. In 2005 the Tenuta Nuova boasts fabulous overall balance in a fairly restrained style for this bottling. Kirsch, roses and spices linger on the dark, enveloping finish. This is a terrific effort from Casanova di Neri. The Tenuta Nuova is made from vineyards in Le Cetine and Pietradonice, both located in the southern part of Montalcino.
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.
