Casanova di Neri : Brunello di Montalcino 2018

Lots of clean cherry and plummy character on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied with dense, chewy tannins and a long finish. Lovely freshness of fruit here, but give the tannins a year or two to settle in. 40th anniversary bottling. Best from 2024.

Clear ruby garnet with brightening at the rim. Appealing nose with notes of blood orange, cranberries and crunchy cherries, Mediterranean herbs in the background. Very good tension on the palate, lots of juicy fruit, finely meshed tannins, salty, a classic.

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino pours a rich ruby hue with a hint of garnet and reveals aromas of red cherry, red plum, leather, and rosemary. It is medium-bodied, with fine tannins and an elegant texture, iron-rich minerality, and notes of red plum, fresh earth, and pine. Refreshing with its acidity and well-balanced, this is a great wine for the value. Drink 2023-2033.

This 2018 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino has very refined, sweet oak spice with a little hint of vanilla, cream, pepper and cherry. The tannins are very finely textured but firm and grippy, and together with juicy acidity they combine into a long, savory, tightly wound palate. There is good concentration here of black cherry fruit, as well as finely integrated oak flavors. This producer makes a firm style of Brunello but of excellent quality, and this 2018 is no exception. This wine is not showing its full potential yet and needs more time to open up, but it already has a lovely combination of firmness and finesse.

With a special commemorative label that celebrates its 40th birthday (1978–2018), the Casanova di Neri 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is lush and carefully concentrated to offer intensity and textural richness. The bright fruit remains intact in this wine, with plenty of cherry and blackberry, in an encouraging nod to the future cellar potential of this bottle. Many Brunellos from this vintage reveal faded or dried fruit, but thankfully not this wine. The acidity is mild, falling softly to the background, and the tannins are expertly managed. Only the finish is a bit leaner and quicker than anticipated. The wine ages in large oak casks for 42 months, and this year's production is an ample 105,000 bottles. Happy anniversary.