Tenuta Nuova Brunello di Montalcino

Sangiovese finds its greatest expression in the hot air and dry, rocky soils around the Tuscan village of Montalcino. With a flavor profile that can be bloody, gamey, and tarred while still showing off Sangiovese’s bright cherry notes and spices, Brunello di Montalcino, Italy’s very first DOCG wine, is a slumbering bear in its youth.

Aging requirements are critical here, and offer insights into a wine’s ageability and drinkability. By law, Brunello di Montalcino must be aged four years prior to release, and Brunello di Montalcino Riserva must be aged five years—Italy’s highest age requirement. And to be clear, once grapes are harvested, crushed and fermented, Brunello producers by law have to hold onto and age them in their cellars for those four, or five, years prior to releasing them to the public for consumption.

In layman's terms: that’s a heck of an investment. Imagine you were a real estate developer who builds and sells homes, but are told by the government that once you build a house, you’re not aloud to sell it for at least four years, until it was properly aged. This should help consumers understand the often steep price tags. But the reality is that these wines are practically undrinkable in the first few years of their existence— the arid Montalcino soils combine limestone, schist, volcanic soil, and marl, all of it extremely infertile, and the result is this intense concentration that renders bottles incredibly age-worthy and nearly untouchable within a decade of bottling. Argiano and Tenuta Il Poggione are among Montalcino’s consistent top producers.

The prestigious Casanova Di Neri winery is best known for its exquisite single vineyard Brunello wine.  Wine Spectator describes Casanova Di Neri Brunello as “one of the best examples of the recent winemaking renaissance in Tuscany.” The family-owned Casanova Di Neri winery was founded in 1971 by Giovanni Neri in Montalcino, Tuscany. This Italian wine region is famous for producing some of the best Sangiovese wines in the world.  The winery produces eight labels, three of which are Brunello (a dry red wine made with Sangiovese grapes) and one is a Super Tuscan.  Casanova Di Neri also makes small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon wine and a white blend with the Vermentino and Grechetto grape varietals. The winery produces 300,000 bottles of wine a year. Casanova Di Neri has received top scores from Wine Spectator for its 2001 Casanova di Neri Cerretalto, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG and the 2001 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (which was also awarded Wine of the Year in 2006.) 

Giovanni Neri Rosso di Montalcino is a relatively new red wine, made with 100% Sangiovese grapes. This dry and fruity wine was created in honor of Giovanni and was released for the winery’s 50th-anniversary celebrations. 

Tasting note

Very elegant in the sensory profile showing sweet notes of flowering geraniums, almonds, cut grass, cumin, medicinal herbs and amaretto. Medium bodied, biting tannins of optimum workmanship and a rich, tasty finale which asks for a return to the glass.