At perfection, the 1974 Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino Fattoria Casale Del Bosco, with 12.5% alcohol, scored 19 points on the 20-point Dionysian scale.

Still red with an amber edge, filled with light red fruits, smoke, hints of tobacco and soft on the palate, this 45 year-old wine proved that Brunellos need age to show their best.

 

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Even old Brunello wines, after decanting, need some air time. Younger Brunello di Montalcino wines need to be opened two to three hours before drinking and poured into the glass.

This wine was decanted only half an hour before dinner being served and it took until the end of the meal, one and a half hours later, for it to fully open. Back then it cost only $12. Most of the better Brunello wines today will run around $40 to $65 for recent vintages. Savor them with people who have taken the time to learn a little about great Italian wines.

Put some 2015 Brunello wines in your cellar and wait a decade or two. In Vino Veritas.