Travel

Casanova di Neri
www.fortltd.ru, May 2006

The task wasn’t easy. Seventy seven red wines from Montalcino were standing on the table and waiting for scrupulous tasting.

Why? In order to choose twenty most exciting names and then to visit their wineries in three days. Consortium for Brunello di Montalcino wines was very democratic when putting up a schedule for a group of Russian journalists.

Brunello’s reputation is one of the exemplary in Italy. The wines stand firmly on the top of the Italian hierarchy and are highly appreciated both at home and abroad. Their powerful character and long life are guaranteed by a special Sangiovese clone called Brunello and by long barrel aging. If one imagines an abstract scale of intensity from 0 (minimal grade) to 10, then colour, aromas, flavours and aftertaste for Brunello di Montalcino will rest somewhere around 8. Add the alcohol content of 13.5-14%. And multiply by 77 wines. A taster’s job is not always roses.

Casanova di Neri’s Brunello di Montalcino 1999 was grouped together with other 17 wines of 1999 vintage. By mutual agreement, it was one of the five preferences from this category of wines. Thus, next day we found ourselves in the "Neri’s new house".

Brunello di Montalcino production zone has nearly a square shape. In terms of location, Casanova di Neri sits in a faraway place — in the top right corner of this square. Having bought considerable amont of land 35 years ago, Giovanni Neri envisaged to turn it into a real farm. And he did. Although the estate is more known for its winemaking, they also grow wheat and make olive oil.

Casanova di Neri vineyards have considerably expanded since then. Fiesole, that adjoins the main farm, soon got a neighbour called Poderuccio. These two plots are considered classical. Wines are elegant, with high acidity, not as powerful as in the south. These vineyards produce classic Brunello di Montalcino.

If we move to the bottom line of the Montalcino square and point just above its middle, we will find Cetine. Twenty five hectares under vine lie on southern and south-eastern slopes of the hill. It is always warmer and not so rainy in this area, so wines possess big structure, good density and generous flavours. Casanova di Neri marks these Brunellos as Tenuta Nuova.

Nearly 20 years ago the Neris bought a plot to the east of Montalcino. It is Cerretalto, the jewel among their vineyards. It has a form of a natural amphitheatre that faces a river and is planted on 8 hectares 250-300 metres above sea level. Microclimate is special, soils are alluvial with a lot of stones and sand, vines are 45 years old. Brunello di Montalcino from this cru are made only in worthy years. In the last decade Cerretalto wasn’t produced in 1998 and 2002.

The last plot, PietradOnice, is situated in the bottom right corner of the Montalcino zone and is very different from other properties of Casanova di Neri. Its soils consist of a special type of marl, among which onyx can be found. ’Stone of onyx’ — this is exactly how the name is translated from Italian. The main variety is Cabernet Sauvignon, and PietradOnice wines are sold as DOC Sant’Antimo Rosso.

Having expanded the area of the vineyards to 45 hectares (considerable estate as 90% of Montalcino wineries have less than 15 hectares), Giacomo Neri, Giovanni’s son, undertook another ambitious project. For 2005 harvest he built a futuristic winery. We were one of the first to witness how new harvest was being transformed into the first wine at the new premises.

You can’t see the winery at all from the main entrance. The building stands on a gently sloping hill, and its roof is leveled with the ground. Down go 3 floors, grapes and wine are moved by gravitation. Imagine that you stand on a surface with several small round holes where grapes are thrown. If you walk to the other side of the hill and enter the winery itself, you will see vats standing strictly under the holes. That’s where the harvest goes.

Vinification room reminds of a pad for launching objects into space. It is ideally clean around, vats (wider at the bottom and narrower at the top) cast metallic shine, temperature control switchboard is equipped in the corner.

In the other corner there is a wide staircase leading in the dark space. Dimmed lights are on, and you descend in a majestic hall. There are barrels there — large and small, French and Slovenian, and wine rests in them. Warehousing facilities are also spacious, also Giacomo Neri says that he is happy with current volume of production (150,000 bottles a year) and is not going to increase it. The other amazing thing is ventilation. It is set up without electric conditioners, through a special system of windows, as ancient Romans did.

Idea for such winery design belonged to Giacomo Neri. He makes wine himself although has a famous Tuscan enologist Carlo Ferrini as a consultant.

We are offered to taste current range of Casanova di Neri wines — Rosso di Montalcino 2003, Brunello di Montalcino 2000, Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2000, Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto 1999 and PietradOnice 2003. In Rosso, Brunello’s younger brother, velvety, cherry-like flavours turn into gastronomically attractive, bitter nuances of amaretto. Classical Brunello charms with lovely flowery smell of peonies. Brunello Tenuta Nuova features beautiful texture and intense fruity aromas and flavours. Brunello Cerretalto combines fruit with minerals and balsamic notes, and its silky texture is united with concentrated flavours. Cabernet Sauvignon in PietradOnice brings the intensity to the apex and leaves sweet, lasting aftertaste. Every wine has its own personality and they are undoubtedly made by a virtuoso master.

Exactly a month later, in the end of October 2005, I again met with Casanova di Neri wines. It happened at Gambero Rosso honourary tasting for the best Italian wines. Brunello di Montalcino 2000 and Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto 1999 were among them. And deservedly received tre bicchieri in the latest Vini d’Italia 2006 guide.