Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto 2019

100 points James Suckling: "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. (12/11/24)"

100 points Falstaff Guide: "Deep dark, rich ruby red. Enormous intensity on the nose, with notes of cigar box, sour cherry compote, notes of graphite, sugared violets and a touch of milk chocolate. Very creamy and full-bodied on the palate, savoury, with a subtle hint of iron, tight-knit tannins, very salty on the finish. A powerful wine with enormous length, a monument! Alcohol 15%. (2/14/25)"

99 points Audrey Frick (JebDunnuck.com): "A saturated red/black color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva Cerretalto is a much more sanguine and mineral-toned wine, with aromas of iron, dark plum, toasted rosemary, pine, and black cherries. It's very structured but also very well-integrated. with a supple and polished feel tying it all together. It's long on the palate and floats away with a long finish. This very impressive and noble wine is going to age very slowly over the coming decades. Drink: 2025-2045. (1/22/25)"

99 points Michaela Morris (Decanter): "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. Drinking Window: 2027-2043. (11/12/24)"

99 points Raffaele Vecchione (WinesCritic.com): "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. (Oct 2024)"

98 points Eric Guido (Vinous): "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. Drink: 2028-2040. (Nov 2024)"

97+ points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate) "The Casanova di Neri 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto (with the black label) opens to medium-plus concentration, dark fruit, ferrous earth and black licorice. You get a lot of detail on the bouquet. This is a big wine with all muscle and no fat. It concludes with smoky barbecue, cola and pressed blue flower. These ethereal aromas appear only after the wine has been in the glass for a while. Rich concentration wraps over the palate but imparts no residual heaviness. This wine has great capacity to age, but I love Cerretalto when its primary fruit is still apparent (10 to 20 years in). Production is 9,700 bottles. The Cerretalto will not be made in 2020. (11/21/24)"