Casanova di Neri, Quintessencial Montalcino
23 August 2017
Casanova di Neri is one of the rising stars, dare we say a shooting star of the wonderful region in the heart of Tuscany that is Montalcino. Founded in 1971 by Giovanni Neri, the estate is considered to be one of the first to highlight the personality of this terroir, so much so that the estate quickly gained widespread recognition by winning several awards over the years.
This success is mainly attributed to the wonderful “Tenuta Nuova” and “Cerretalto”, two Brunello di Montalcino wines, made from a Sangiovese Grosso blend that is powerful, rich and produced in small batches. In fact, the 2001 Cerretalto received a perfect score of 100/100 from Wine Spectator, an American magazine, while the 2001 vintage of Tenuta Nuova ranked first among the 2006 Top 100 Wines of the Year in the same publication.
But, let’s get back to the terroir, since that is where the secret of this family estate truly lies. When Giovanni Neri strode through the Montalcino region, he saw immense potential. He first bought the “Fiesole” vineyard, located north-east of Montalcino, facing the estate. Shortly after, the Neri patriarch made a lovely discovery: “Poderuccio”, a vineyard situated at 350 metres above sea-level. Today, both of these are used to produce the estate’s basic Brunello di Montalcino.
In 1986, “Cerretalto”, a natural amphitheatre near the Asso River, east of Montalcino at an elevation of 300 metres, joined the family. It is a unique terroir that warrants its own bottling and became the estate’s flagship wine. Later, the family grew again with the addition of the “Cetine” and “Pietrad’Onice” vineyards, both located south of Montalcino. On occasion, the latter is bottled.
It is well known that great Brunellos offer the best of themselves at the table. For this reason, Montréal Passion Vin and Giacomo di Neri, Giovanni’s son, have chosen to present the wines as part of a magnificent lunch provided by an exceptional restaurateur!
