2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto

An intoxicating nose of freshly cut flowers, cedar, and bright fruit. Full and very tight. Very long, with layers and layers of beautiful fruit in restraint. Mounds of complexity with incredible depth, finesse, and power. This is very nice. <br />

Proprietor Giacomo Neri has turned out another terrific Brunello in his 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto. Made in a jam-packed style, this deeply-colored wine explodes from the glass with the essence of blackberries, smoke, tar, chocolate and sweet toasted oak, showing outstanding length and ripe tannins. It is a big, plush Brunello to cellar for a year or two and drink over the following decade.

Back in its day, the 2001 vintage was somewhat underrated. The local growers' association gave it four stars (out of a total of five) in a self-policing system that has always been extremely generous toward the appellation. Tasted from magnum, the 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto smells and tastes like it comes from a five-star vintage, determined as such by the most discerning critics. This wine meets the tallest expectations and surprises the skeptics. It opens to seamless integration with dried fruit aromas that slowly merge into soft spice and tobacco. In the mouth, the wine shows beautiful suppleness and firmness. The 2001 vintage saw reduced yields because of freezing temperatures on Easter night. This led to very small and concentrated berries and high quality. Mar 2018, www.robertparker.com