Casanova Di Neri 2018s
...there is something timeless and solid about this wine. It's like a touchstone. MONICA LARNER (of the Tenuta Nuova)
Whether you consider your palate for Brunello to be international or traditional, you really owe it to yourself to check in with Casanova di Neri. ANTONIO GALLONI
For Brunello fans who love fragrant wines with energy, elegance and balance, you are going to love the soon-to-be-released 2018s. I haven’t been this excited by a recent vintage since the classic 2013s were released five years ago. And the best part is that thanks to improvements in vineyard management and cellar practices, many of the 2018s are already approachable but the best also promise years of pleasure and evolution...
Luminous and radiant, the 2018s beautifully reflect their individual terroirs, offering a transparency that the burly, warm 2017s and 2015s lack. With the exception of the top 25 or so producers, even many of the 2016 Brunellos, from what in terms of climate was a far superior vintage to 2018, don’t reflect their unique terroirs to the extent that the 2018s do across the denomination. KERIN O'KEEFE
The best of the 2018s offer transparency and refinement, with fresh, vibrant, red-fruited profiles, wonderful mineral textures, and fine-grained tannins that are approachable in their youth. They also excel in their aromatic perfume, highlighting the potential of Sangiovese in these increasingly rare cooler vintages. AUDREY FRICKE, www.jebdunnuck.com
You've gotta love a wine producer who just keeps on delivering the goods. It doesn't matter what the vintage conditions Casanova turn out wines that always sit at the top of the tree. They are reliably brilliant, charismatic and convincing wines that should be a must buy every year if you love the wines of this zone. These 2018s are no different and, in fact, I really like the way the more demure nature of the vintage conditions has played into the house style (particularly for the Tenuta) for richness and spliced in more detail and transparency. Oh, and before I go on, I just need to say that for some reason, the price of the Tenuta has come down this year. Thanks God.
The secret to their consistency lies in the fact that, like many of the better newer producers in the area, they own land in both the northern and southern sections of Montalcino. It might not mean much until you go there and realise that these are two very contrasting areas- separated by soil, altitudes, aspects and distance! This allows a producer like Casanova to find balance; to add light to the shade of a single site and create a wine infinitely more interesting. This was important in 2017 where the warmth of the year produced a more uneven quality landscape and where the huge diversity of site that exists around this famous hill, was more important than ever.
The two staple stars (but read below for some exciting news) of the estate are the superstar, Tenuta di Nuova - made by Giacomo Neri to be a more modern example accentuating the supple, decadent and pleasure-dome styling alongside serious structural underpinnings and one of the best uses of oak you will find. Incidentally, the oak has changed to larger tonneaux in recent times replacing barriques.
The ying to its yang is the wine affectionately known as the "white label". This is the estate's "entry" Brunello but in truth it could be another producer's icon bottling such is the quality. Most of the fruit comes off plots around the original estate and has been made since inception, but more importantly it sees far less oak and certainly a lot less new, small oak. It is a more traditional style but perhaps a better way to describe it is that it's a "straddle style" because it's neither modern nor traditional, taking the best aspects of both.
This vintage marks the first release of a new Brunello named for Giovanni Neri, founder and father of current head, Giacomo. It comes off a 7 hectare plot of old vines on the north side of Montalcino planted in 1973 by a farmer called Tocci. He had stubbornly refused to sell the plot to the Neris for decades until he finally relented not so long ago. This wine is the first Brunello to be released from the site.
The thing I am always amazed by when it comes to the wines from this estate is the fact they seem to be able to defy style pigeon holes, surfing effortlessly between expressions ranging from modern to traditional and somewhere in between. It seems to me the uppermost guiding principle is simple: make wines that give you the essence of the land they're grown but also give you hedonistic pleasure. They rarely disappoint and over the years I've had so many clients send me notes about a great drinking experience they've had with them.
My allocation is predictably limited so let me know early if you would like some.
Cheers
Michael McNamara
Whether you consider your palate for Brunello to be international or traditional, you really owe it to yourself to check in with Casanova di Neri. ANTONIO GALLONI
For Brunello fans who love fragrant wines with energy, elegance and balance, you are going to love the soon-to-be-released 2018s. I haven’t been this excited by a recent vintage since the classic 2013s were released five years ago. And the best part is that thanks to improvements in vineyard management and cellar practices, many of the 2018s are already approachable but the best also promise years of pleasure and evolution...
Luminous and radiant, the 2018s beautifully reflect their individual terroirs, offering a transparency that the burly, warm 2017s and 2015s lack. With the exception of the top 25 or so producers, even many of the 2016 Brunellos, from what in terms of climate was a far superior vintage to 2018, don’t reflect their unique terroirs to the extent that the 2018s do across the denomination. KERIN O'KEEFE
The best of the 2018s offer transparency and refinement, with fresh, vibrant, red-fruited profiles, wonderful mineral textures, and fine-grained tannins that are approachable in their youth. They also excel in their aromatic perfume, highlighting the potential of Sangiovese in these increasingly rare cooler vintages. AUDREY FRICKE, www.jebdunnuck.com
You've gotta love a wine producer who just keeps on delivering the goods. It doesn't matter what the vintage conditions Casanova turn out wines that always sit at the top of the tree. They are reliably brilliant, charismatic and convincing wines that should be a must buy every year if you love the wines of this zone. These 2018s are no different and, in fact, I really like the way the more demure nature of the vintage conditions has played into the house style (particularly for the Tenuta) for richness and spliced in more detail and transparency. Oh, and before I go on, I just need to say that for some reason, the price of the Tenuta has come down this year. Thanks God.
The secret to their consistency lies in the fact that, like many of the better newer producers in the area, they own land in both the northern and southern sections of Montalcino. It might not mean much until you go there and realise that these are two very contrasting areas- separated by soil, altitudes, aspects and distance! This allows a producer like Casanova to find balance; to add light to the shade of a single site and create a wine infinitely more interesting. This was important in 2017 where the warmth of the year produced a more uneven quality landscape and where the huge diversity of site that exists around this famous hill, was more important than ever.
The two staple stars (but read below for some exciting news) of the estate are the superstar, Tenuta di Nuova - made by Giacomo Neri to be a more modern example accentuating the supple, decadent and pleasure-dome styling alongside serious structural underpinnings and one of the best uses of oak you will find. Incidentally, the oak has changed to larger tonneaux in recent times replacing barriques.
The ying to its yang is the wine affectionately known as the "white label". This is the estate's "entry" Brunello but in truth it could be another producer's icon bottling such is the quality. Most of the fruit comes off plots around the original estate and has been made since inception, but more importantly it sees far less oak and certainly a lot less new, small oak. It is a more traditional style but perhaps a better way to describe it is that it's a "straddle style" because it's neither modern nor traditional, taking the best aspects of both.
This vintage marks the first release of a new Brunello named for Giovanni Neri, founder and father of current head, Giacomo. It comes off a 7 hectare plot of old vines on the north side of Montalcino planted in 1973 by a farmer called Tocci. He had stubbornly refused to sell the plot to the Neris for decades until he finally relented not so long ago. This wine is the first Brunello to be released from the site.
The thing I am always amazed by when it comes to the wines from this estate is the fact they seem to be able to defy style pigeon holes, surfing effortlessly between expressions ranging from modern to traditional and somewhere in between. It seems to me the uppermost guiding principle is simple: make wines that give you the essence of the land they're grown but also give you hedonistic pleasure. They rarely disappoint and over the years I've had so many clients send me notes about a great drinking experience they've had with them.
My allocation is predictably limited so let me know early if you would like some.
Cheers
Michael McNamara