Casanova di Neri Cerretalto Brunello di Montalcino 2018

“The deep garnet-colored 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino Cerretalto is ripe and boasts a sunnier feel, with aromas of baked cherries as well as a dark mineral profile of graphite, toasted peppercorn, and dried lavender. Fleshy and full-bodied, it offers a plush tannin structure, with wonderful depth and richness through its long-lasting finish, and it retains good freshness. This would be a wonderful counterpart for lovers of great Bordeaux. It remains fresh and tinged with classic notes of blood orange and salinity. It’s going to be an outstanding wine to cellar and drink over the coming decades. Bravo.”

“Dark, rich ruby red. Beautifully ripe, open nose, accessible, plums, wild raspberries, tobacco, echoes of liquorice. Surprisingly juicy on the palate, great fruit freshness, opens up with vivid, silky tannins, good tension, still a little drying in the finish.”

“Black cherries and dried cherries are allied with notes of balsamic, leather and minty earthiness, but it needs time to open up. Full-bodied on the palate with good fruit concentration and refined tannins. Still youthful, with grainy oak touches. Hints of graphite in the polished finish. Very savory. Best from 2028.”

“Exciting to say the least is the main profile of this young Brunello, guascone, swaggering, with every reason to be so. There is really everything in the main matrix with very fresh notes of cherries, red plums, currants, cassis, pink grapefruit, guarana and crushed almonds. Lemongrass, lime and vetiver give fresh, progressive notes that progressively grow from the background. Medium-full-bodied, biting and veracious it shows a full-bodied sip, tannins of a slightly edgy nature and a captivating finish with a remarkable Mediterranean flavour. Better since 2026.”

“Showing dried blackberry, balsam herb, vapor rub and a hint of charred chili spice, this wine offers an aromatic profile that is very much in line with a vintage that saw cool spring temperatures and a hot summer. The Casanova di Neri 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is a wine of depth, dusty tannins and a slightly evolved fruit character. I tasted this 2018 Cerretalto next to the estate's new releases from 2019, and the latter vintage certainly offers more overall clarity and crunch. The Neri family does great work with tannin management, and although there is some chalkiness here, the wine's structure is expertly folded into the fruit concentration. Only 9,700 bottles were made.”

“There's a firm underlying structure in this intense red, boosting its plum, cherry, eucalyptus and iron flavors, with a solid midpalate that builds to a lingering aftertaste of red fruit, hibiscus and mineral. Shows terrific length and freshness. Best from 2026 through 2042. 800 cases made, 95 cases imported.”