1997 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto Riserva
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Tasting notes
The 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto opens to a profoundly dark color and inky appearance. The bouquet is seamless and tight, with a long continuum of dark fruit nuances, dried cherry, cured meat and exotic spice. There are evolved aromas of tar and smoke as well. That said, there was agreement between Giacomo Neri and myself that this was not a perfect bottle. Despite its broad textural embroidery, the wine seemed less able to deliver in terms of depth, definition and sharpness. On the other hand, the tannins are sharp, almost astringent, and not what I would have expected from this iconic vintage (that is credited with kick-starting Brunello sales in the United States market). That explains the question mark in my score.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Cru Cerretalto possesses a dark garnet color as well as a big, spicy, earthy bouquet with hints of cedar and dried herbs. Tannic and medium to full-bodied, with a saturated color in addition to sweetness and fruit in its moderately long finish, it will be at its finest between 2006-2014. Wine Advocate.December, 2002
The 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto opens to a profoundly dark color and inky appearance. The bouquet is seamless and tight, with a long continuum of dark fruit nuances, dried cherry, cured meat and exotic spice. There are evolved aromas of tar and smoke as well. That said, there was agreement between Giacomo Neri and myself that this was not a perfect bottle. Despite its broad textural embroidery, the wine seemed less able to deliver in terms of depth, definition and sharpness. On the other hand, the tannins are sharp, almost astringent, and not what I would have expected from this iconic vintage (that is credited with kick-starting Brunello sales in the United States market). That explains the question mark in my score. Mar 2018, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Casanova di Neri pioneered the concept of single-vineyard Brunello di Montalcino and today is one of the region’s most consistent producers.