Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2018

Elegant and perfumed nose of dried roses, violets, lemon zest, slate, cherries, aniseed and truffles. Very fine, tight and precise tannins. Medium to full body. I like the floral and saline undertones. So precise and fresh with a tight finish. Crushed stones at the end. Try in 2025, but already attractive to taste and drink.

Here's a treat from Casanova di Neri. Aged in tonneaux for 30 months, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is fleshed out and rich with pretty layers of dark fruit, dried blackberry, spice and cured tobacco. There is a point of sour cherry in this vintage that folds into crushed flower, balsam herb, licorice and crushed stone. The bouquet is classic, but the Casanova di Neri magic touch comes through thanks to the wine's balance and pretty intensity. I can't, however, overlook a powerful 15% alcohol content that leaves its mark. This is a production of 67,740 bottles.

From the estate’s Cetine vineyard, located to the southeast of Sant’Angelo in Colle, this Tenuta Nuova bottling has a Mediterranean feel and a sensuous charisma. A relatively early harvest date of 16 September preserved freshness in the grapes. Under a top-note of wood emerges lavender and balsamic herbs. There's ample concentration of ripe red cherry infused with cinnamon and wrapped in malleable tannins. Sapid, tangy acidity buoys the whole. The sleek and sophisticated wood should digest with another year in the bottle.