Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto 2015

JS 100 / WA 98 / Decanter 97 / WS 97 / VM 95 pts

JS: This is a momentous wine with incredible power and structure that has so much minerality and crushed-stone character to the black cherries and blueberries. Full-bodied and tannic, yet the tannins are layered and polished with a glorious, creamy and juicy texture that coats your mouth. It goes on for minutes. Incredible wine.

WA: Of these new releases from this benchmark estate, the Casanova di Neri 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is my favorite wine. This Riserva is larger than life with ripe fruit, raspberry, cherry, spice, cola, root beer, mesquite and cedar. The wine offers a flashy and generous quality of fruit that unfolds over time with a multifaceted and multi-layered presentation. One thing that stands out here is the acidity that is bracing and tart at first but then succumbs to an important supporting role, rendering lasting freshness and persistence to the finish. With time, you get a flash of cherry and crème de cassis that seals the deal.

D: Outer quote mark First vinified as a single vineyard in 1981, and bottled as a Riserva until 1993, Cerretalto comes from an iron-rich marly site in the far east of Montalcino. Slow ripening, it is always the last plot to be harvested. While demonstrating some of its typical youthful austerity, the 2015 has a bit more flesh and baby fat than usual but it is still recognisably Cerretalto, with its mineral-driven, powerfully structured palate. Aromas are redolent of vanilla, balsam, smoke and dark chocolate, while the palate offers blackberry and black currants. Lively acidity pierces the fruit intensity.

WS: Wild rosemary, thyme and juniper aromas and flavors frame the core of black cherry in this supple red. Firmly built, shows refined tannins embraced by the bright fruit. Very expressive and approachable now, yet should continue to improve.

VM: The 2015 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is remarkably fresh and balanced despite its large-scale persona. Minty herbs give way to raspberry and cherry with exotic spices and a hint of pine resin. It boasts depths of silky textures; yet it remains juicy and full of energy, displaying ripe red and black fruits, laced with salty minerals, as hints of cinnamon and baker’s chocolate form toward the close. Fine tannins come forward on the finish, tugging at the cheeks, yet all under an air of sweet spice and violet florals.