2018 Brunello di Montalcino, Tenuta Nuova, Casanova di Neri, Tuscany, Italy

A black grape widely grown in Central Italy and the main component of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as well as being the sole permitted grape for the famed Brunello di Montalcino.

Casanova di Neri are one of the region’s foremost producers of a more modern or international style of Brunello. Characterised by rich, unctuous, dark fruit and of cool, fine tannins and succulent yet refined oak framing the wine beautifully. Tenuta Nuova is a single vineyard wine selected from one very special part of their seven vineyards. The family’s intention was to encapsulate as closely as possible the unique terroir and microclimate that this special vineyard enjoys. Something is clearly working very well here, as the wine is hugely popular around the world but its level of critical acclaim is hugely consistent: it not been scored less than 95 points by The Wine Advocate since before 2010. James Suckling, who largely made his name with his analysis of the region many years ago, has only once dipped below 95 points over the same period.