With the Italian winery having celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2021, Pol Roger Portfolio is excited to be a part of this family’s journey as they go from strength to strength.
Casanova di Neri was founded in 1971 by Giovanni Neri, a grain merchant from the town of Montevarchi, south of Florence. He had a long-standing dream to make a great Italian red, and though the region of Chianti Classico was on his doorstep, it was the remote and relatively unknown Brunello di Montalcino that piqued his interest. Achieving DOC status just four years previously, and with only around 30 producers in the area compared to around 250 today, it offered the perfect opportunity for a man with a clear vision.
James Simpson MW, Managing Director of Pol Roger Portfolio, commented “We are thrilled to be able to welcome Casanova di Neri to the Pol Roger family in the UK. With extraordinary vineyards and serious winemaking, the wines stand testament to the vision of the Neri family.”
After the great Giovanni passed away in 1991, his son Giacomo took the reins, and is now accompanied by his sons, Giovanni and Gianlorenzo. Casanova di Neri is seen as one of the pioneers of single-vineyard Brunello, and consistently produces some of the best wines in the DOC. Its seven vineyards are located in diverse terroirs across Montalcino: Fiesole, Cerretalto, Collalli, Podernuovo, Pietradonice, Giovanni Neri and Cetine.
The variety in terroir, exposure, vine age and micro-climate allows for a distinctive expression of Sangiovese, showing its unique potential. The luxurious, rich and lusciously textural wines that they produce are the result of their meticulous approach.
All fruit is harvested by hand, sorted extensively and then further refined with an optical sorter. The underground winery allows the wine to be treated as gently as possible, with a combination of low impact and gravity flow technology. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled, open topped truncated conical vats of steel and wood. The wine is left to age in French oak for 12-45 months depending on the vineyard and vintage.
Giacomo Neri of Casanova Di Neri, said of the partnership ‘Casanova di Neri is happy to announce the new partnership with Pol Roger family in the UK! We are confident that we’ll be able to collaborate at best to communicate our philosophy and the passion that Casanova di Neri has put, consistently throughout the years of our history, into producing its wines.’
