Casanuova delle Cerbaie 2006

 Casanuova delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino, 2006

   Here is a Brunello that is classic, for the most part, but has a nice hint of modern style as well.  Early, on the nose, there's a laser of lean black cherry fruit and cherry skins, with some leather, and white pepper dustiness. The palate is elegant and light, with fine grained texture and bit of extraction, showing more black cherry, some blackberry, stone dust, and a bit of tobacco. There's a moderate amount of fine grained tannins on the finish, with a little juicy acidity, that holds promise for improvement with time. Quite enjoyable now, albeit a little disjointed.    89 Pts

   The estate is located north of the village of Montalcino, with the grapes sourced from the Montosoli hill, which is known for producing wines with particular balance and longevity. It's spends about 36 months in large Slovonian oak barrels, also known as "botti". 

Interesting in the case of Casanuova delle Cerbaie, the barrels are young, which is a slight variation from many traditionalists who use botti that are as much as forty years old. This practice seems to contribute to a nice merging of rustic and rich character in the wine.This wine is fairly easy to find online and in my local shops (NYC), running around $50.00.