Featured Winery: Casanova di Neri
The Casanova di Neri winery near the village of Montalcino...
The friendly tasting staff at Casanova di Neri...
Another award winning wine, the Tenuta di Nuova, has also achieved lofty status as one of the top notch Brunellos. Aged in oak barrels for 24-30 months depending on the vintage, and made from very low yields from vineyards having excellent terroir, this wine has attained the status as one of the most consistent wines from this important region. The Wine Spectator awarded the 2001 vintage its highest accolade, Wine of Year.
Situated along the country road that runs from the village of Montalcino to Pienza, the Casanova de Neri winery does not appear as auspicious as one might expect given the accolades it has received in recent years. Its signs appear somewhat reserved, and its nondescript buildings seem to blend in with the surrounding countryside. If not searching for the winery, one could easily drive right by it. And for anyone who loves the wines of Tuscany, and in particular Brunello di Montalcino, that would prove a huge mistake.
Casanova di Neri has achieved relative meteoric success as one of the premier producers of fine Brunello. The founder, Giovanni Neri, first purchased the estate’s initial vineyard as recently as 1971. Since then, Casanova di Neri has accumulated more acreage, and now owns 55 hectares of vineyards (about 140 acres) in the Montalcino area. The estate’s best wines represent quintessential expressions of Brunello di Montalcino.
Those wines include the Cerretalto, produced from specially selected grapes grown in a 45 year old vineyard on hills near the banks of the Asso River. Casanova only produces this wine in years having an excellent vintage. The maker ages the wines for two years in small oak barrels, and another 18 months in the bottle before releasing the finished product for sale. The wine typically garners excellent scores from critics, especially the Wine Spectator, which gave the 2001 vintage a perfect score of 100 points.
The view of Montalcino from the parking lot at Casanova de Neri...
Another interesting wine (not a Brunello) produced by Casanova de Neri is the Pietradonice, which relies primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in the estate’s vineyards. Aged for 18 months, this wine provides unique and complex flavors, especially in good vintages. It has earned some respectable scores from Wine Spectator Magazine and wine critic Robert Parker. Usually blended with 90 percent Cabernet and ten percent Sangiovese grapes, some vintages contain only Cabernet Sauvignon. The Pietradonice usually results in a fine age-worthy wine that improves after several years of cellaring.
Casanova also produces several versions of Rosso di Montalcino red wines. Typically these wines use the Sangiovese grapes considered not good enough for making Brunello. They cost less than Brunellos and prove much more approachable. They usually lack the complexity of the Brunellos, but make fine wines to drink with red meat or pasta dishes.
One of the best things about driving through the Montalcino area of Tuscany is that the wineries often open their doors to the public without the need for a reservation, similar to the way wine touring works in California. When I happened to stop at Casanova di Neri, the staff greeted me and poured four different wines for tasting. Not only had they opened the basic Rosso de Montalcino for tasting, but also three bottles of their best current vintage wines discussed above.
Several years ago, Casanova di Neri added an “Agritourismo” component to the winery. This term refers to rural accommodations in Italy, similar to a bed and breakfast in the States. At Casanova, the owners have converted two rooms into apartments for overnight stays. The location makes it a great place to stay while touring through the wine region surrounding the village of Montalcino. Consult the Casanova website at www.casanovadineri.com for more information pertaining to a visit or an overnight stay.
