Casanova di Neri White Label Brunello di Montalcino 2015

In the early 1970’s the Neri Family struck gold when they were able to lock into an abandoned estate in the Northeast corner of Montalcino. They named it Casanova di Neri and together Giacomo and his two sons Giovanni and Gianlorenzo have managed their six vineyards spanning 75 hectares as well as they manage the cellar.

They’ve managed to do quite well for themselves too. Every year for the past decade plus, Casanova di Neri is amongst the highest rated wineries in all of Montalcino, consistently outperforming many of the bigger names. But those who know, know. You’re not going to find much better than Neri.

Their black label is a consistent 98+ point fetcher, especially in great vintages like the 2015 vintage and as you might expect, the pricetag starts at $125/bottle.

But for my money – the best overall offering from the estate is their ‘White Label’ — a beauty sculpted off a Southeastern sloped vineyard between 350-500 meters and very close to the cellar. As such, the grapes are brought immediately in and into large used oak barrels. There they take a 42-45 month slumber, building elegance to match the immense power and concentration and the bones required for aging.

In the outstanding 2015 vintage in Brunello that James Suckling referred to as, “a fairytale” it’s no surprise that the Neri boys once again churned out something special. Dense and concentrated yet bursting with energy and freshness. This gives you the best of both worlds. The critics unanimously loved it, with all four who reviewed it coming in at 93+ points or higher and garnering a triple 94-point score.