Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto 2008
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Winery: Casanova di Neri
Vintage: 2008
Grape: Sangiovese
Drinking window: 2018 - 2040
Region: Tuscany
Production: 717 bottles
Milano Points: 300 Points
THE ITALIAN GRAPE (97)
Casanova di Neri is one of the big boys of Montalcino, and they prove it with this special edition of the cerretalto, about 700+ wines were produced from the 2008. Minimal production ensures a very concentrated wine. The 2008 was aged for 30 months in oak barrels and then another 30 months in the bottle. The grapes hail mainly from a vineyard situated in a natural amphitheater alongside a small river. It's a wine of exceptional quality, personality and inimitable style. The finish just keeps going, it is sensational to experience. Brunello at its best in my opinion.
ROBERT PARKER (97)
This has always been one of my favorite vintages of this spectacular single-vineyard wine from Montalcino. In fact, I had previously scored the 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto a perfect 100-points before I started working for Robert Parker Wine Advocate. I am tempted to do the same here, save for the fact I have the memory of the 2010 vintage with that super firm and precise elegance so fresh in my mind. This wine is larger, richer and more textured. There is a broader, looser quality to this wine's fruity extraction and composition. This expression has more meat or flesh on those bones. Giacomo Neri does some of his best work in these warm vintages that add so much fruit and balsam-like intensity. The 2007 Cerretalto is drinking beautifully right now, and I have no doubt that it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. It has entered what I believe will be a long and successful drinking plateau.
WINESPECTATOR (95)
Pure cherry and blackberry fruit mingles with mineral, spice and earth notes in this modern-style red. Graphite elements emerge as the bright acidity and dusty tannins drive the long finish. Fresh and focused, with fine complexity and seamless texture.
About the wine
Before Giovanni Neri started the Casanova di Neri winery in 1971, the land in Montalcino was used for farming. Giovanni wanted to make top-quality Brunello di Montalcino, so he bought more land in areas with great conditions for growing big plants. Now, the vineyard covers 500 hectares, with 63 hectares for grapes and 20 hectares for olive trees. Since the first harvest in 1978, Casanova di Neri has been making amazing wines every year. They're considered some of the best in Tuscany and have a great reputation worldwide. The vineyards are in a special area with a good microclimate, on the southern slope near Castelnuovo dell'Abate and Cerretalto, in the eastern part of Montalcino.
Cerretalto is a special wine made by Casanova di Neri, crafted with intuition, passion, and vision. It comes mainly from grapes grown in a vineyard that sits in a natural amphitheater next to a river. The presence of prized white truffles in their private reserve indicates the pure environment of the vineyard. With rich mineral soil, a unique microclimate, low yields per plant, and their dedication and passion, Cerretalto stands out for its immense character and balanced structure. It's a wine of exceptional quality and style, reflecting the essence of the land it comes from and the vision of a great Brunello. Cerretalto is known for its distinctive aromas of graphite and sanguine undertones, and its long-lasting flavor on the palate.
In 2008, there was intense rainfall in winter, followed by a regular spring with moderate temperatures and rain. Rainfall continued until mid-June, alternating with periods of high temperatures and cooler moments with rain in June and July. This weather pattern delayed the vine's growth in the spring but led to balanced ripening later on. Cerretalto is aged in oak barrels for 30 months and then in bottles for another 30 months before release.
