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B-21 Top Recommendation
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"Vintage after vintage, Casanova di Neri continues to impress. The 2021s bring a seductive energy to the house’s complex, ripe style." - Eric Guido, Vinous
Long-time winemaker and owner Giancarlo Neri has fashioned his estate into one of Montalcino's most decorated (and sometimes controversial) names. As Giancarlo's illustrious career comes to an end and his son Giovanni takes the reins, there's been a wait-and-see approach the past few vintages as regards the estate's direction. Well, any questions can be put to rest in the epic 2021 vintage, as the flagship expressions are knockout, critically acclaimed stunners, capped by a perfect score for the iconic Tenuta Nuova. "It’s a gorgeous Tenuta Nuova that has everything working in harmony and will only improve with time in bottle." notes Jeb Dunnuck's Italy critic, Audrey Frick. Showing "a humbling level of complexity," the 2021 is built on an irresistible tension between its full aromatic and flavor profile and its ultra-precise, energetic structure, which Frick notes in detail in her 100-point review. Several 98-point reviews put the coda on this latest stunner, which marks a watershed moment in the evolution of this great estate.
As great as Tenuta Nuova is, you can expect the 2021 Brunello normale to take things to another level as well. With numerous 95-point reviews to its credit, the 2021 is a resounding triumph for this bottling that will stand with many other estates riservas when all is said and done. "The complexity here is off the charts and the energy is incredible," exclaims Eric Guido of Vinous. Fans of the estate will also find plenty to love in the 2023 Irrosso, a JS92 value gem that offers up plenty of di Neri pedigree at an easy case-buy price. Keen-eyed collectors will notice a handful of bottles of the highly limited 2020 Brunello Giovanni Neri, a double 98-point cellar "showstopper" from a 50-year-old parcel near Castelnuovo dell' Abate. "I do love the intensity and the energy of this wine," notes Wine Advocate's Monica Larner.
The entire range of new releases from Casanova di Neri shows an iconic estate that is far from resting on its laurels, instead pushing boundaries on a mission to maintain its place in the very elite echelon of Montalcino's most esteemed names. |
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The 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino Giovanni Neri boasts a darker red/purple hue and is completely different, offering aromas of dark mineral earth, polished leather, sappy herbs, black cherry compote, dark chocolate, and menthol. Fleshy and full, it saturates the palate with lush, ripe tannins and a more pronounced saltiness, giving the wine a mouthwatering feel and a long-lasting finish, with notes of blood orange lasting on the back palate. It deserves time in the cellar before drinking over the coming 20 years.
98 points, Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck (Jan 2025)
A solid red with mushroom, bark, blackberry and black-truffle character. Full and layered with open tannins and a long, persistent finish. Creamy and polished. From a single vineyard with vines averaging 50 years old. Best from 2026.
98 points, James Suckling (Sep 2024)
The Casanova di Neri 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Giovanni Neri is a lifted and punchy wine with great vertical delivery of aromas. It ferments with 10% to 15% whole-cluster fruit. Giovanni and Gianlorenzo Neri noticed brown stems and perfumed aromas, and these qualities gave them the inspiration to use the stems. Cherry and red fruit aromas are followed by pepper, wild spice, sweet earth and dusty pencil shaving. There are hints of saddle leather on the one hand and pressed rosemary herb on the other. At the very end, there is a hint of something that tastes like a crunchy breakfast bacon strip. I do love the intensity and the energy of this wine. Only 8,600 bottles were created. Fruit comes from a seven-hectare parcel in the Sesti area (along the dirt road that goes from Castelnuovo dell'Abate to Sant'Angelo in Colle) that was purchased in 2017. The vines were planted in the 1970s. The wine ages in tonneaux for 30 months, and the tannins are beautifully integrated.
97 points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (Nov 2024)
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