2004 - Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto, Casanova di Neri

No doubt, Casanova di Neri shows some of its best work in this decade, starting with the super voluptuous 2001 vintage and ending with the superbly fine and powerful 2010 edition. The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is closer to the 2001 expression in style and personality. This wine shows deep richness and plumpness with black fruit nuances that segue to exotic spice, bitter chocolate and cured tobacco. Those lingering balsam notes of rosemary and medicinal herb remind you of the Montalcino territory. Smoke, tar, licorice and crushed flint underline the evolved nature of this balanced Tuscan red. If you have a bottle in your cellar, you could drink it now or hold off longer.

A darkly alluring blend of plum sauce, crushed black cherries, sage, balsamic spice and hints of mint makes the 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto impossible to ignore. Harmonious to the core, it sweeps across the palate with ease, silky and serene, with ripe red and blue fruits swirling along a steady stream of fresh acidity. A tinge of sour citrus and spice echoes throughout as sweet tannins collect toward the close, finishing with incredible length and balance. The Cerretalto is drop-dead gorgeous and impossibly young. Any collector with 2004 in their cellar should be smiling from ear to ear.