2019 Casanova di Neri Cerretalto Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 3pk 3x750ml

• 3 bottles of 2019 Casanova di Neri Cerretalto Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

Wow. Seductive aromas of slate, violets and black cherries as well as some graphite and cedar. Full-bodied, this has incredible depth, intensity and purity, building on the palate with focused fruit and pronounced tannins. Goes on for minutes. A wine for the long run. Best of the vintage? Try after 2029. ~100 James Suckling

Deep dark, rich ruby red colour. The nose shows enormous density, cigar box, pickled sour cherries, notes of graft, sugared violets, with a milk chocolate aftertaste. Enormously creamy on the palate, very full-bodied, savoury, with subtle hints of iron, tightly woven tannins, very salty at the back, powerful, enormous length, a monument. ~100 Falstaff

At the far eastern limits of the zone, Cerretalto is Casanova di Neri’s coolest site, owing to marked diurnal temperature differences. Fermented in oak and aged in tonneaux, of which 20% is new, this cuvée sees long ageing in bottle and is always released a year after its stablemates in the vintages it is made. Simply breathtaking, the 2019 is a thoroughbred. Intense yet at the same time reticent, the nose simmers with pulverised rocks, graphite, smoke and wild black berries. Sinewy and chiselled in physique, the palate is full of vim and vigour. Dark fruit tones are offset by tangy pomegranate and zesty acidity, and commanding tannins are firm but not hard-edged; they simply need time. Hints of roasted coffee bean and oregano persist. ~99 Decanter

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is a showstopper, with a bouquet that mixes hauntingly dark florals, black cherries, incense, exotic spices and sweet sage. It seduces the senses with silken textures and ripe wild berry fruit scents, taking on a steady tension as hints of blood orange and an air of violet florals saturate the palate. It finishes structured and impossibly long as a primary concentration lingers, leaving a stain of blackberry and sour cherry, all framed by regal tannins. The balance here is otherworldly. The 2019 Cerretalto displays all of the best attributes of this radiant vintage. Spellbinding. ~99 Vinous Media

It is the determined awareness of being that makes this wine an absolute myth, now iconic in style and rare personality. The notes of blackberries, wild myrtle and karkadè clash with citrus tones of bergamot and lime in a vortex of pleasant contrasting sensations. In the background the "heart" notes are told with plums, strawberries and incense. A graphite tone increases its complexity. Full body, perfectly ripe and extracted tannins and a finish that ignites from the center of the palate. It is extremely current, incisive and slender in the extraction of all the components but always remains in the essential track of gustatory balance and smoothness. Plus a savory tone that makes it three-dimensional. Still a perfect wine for the Neri family, worthy of remaining with their feet on the ground day after day and being excited by the work done and what will still be. ~99 WinesCritic.com

Substitutions of featured wines may be made at BHW's discretion.