QOTD: I hadn’t tasted many Brunellos, but at a recent Italian wine event I got my fill and stayed by the Brunello table all night!

Over the past couple of years I have had a few very disappointing Brunellos (Banfi is one that comes to mind) that were late 90’s wines and early 2000’s. Could the problem with improper practice and ingredients been going on back then?? were they not full Brunello wines and actually blends?? What’s your take?

Thanks, Jason Perrone (Wethersfield, CT)

SOTD: My Brunello story – My wife and I and two other couples went to a local Italian restaurant called Lago before going to the theater one night last year. While our friends very much appreciate wine, they “don’t know much” and often haven’t tried many different varietals or regions. So as the resident “wine guy” in the group, I first ordered an Aglianico, which was decent wine and went pretty well with everyone’s first courses. Then for the main course, I ordered two bottles of a 1997 Brunello (I cannot recall which one but it was one of the fairly well regarded producers). Everyone loved it. In fact, we went back to the restaurant after the play for dessert and when we discussed after dinner wines, everyone said, “Let’s get another bottle of that Brunello!” so we did – and it was the last one they had at the restaurant, which is probably a good thing, since we may have had two otherwise!