Age matters for one of Italy's best, and most expensive, wines . . . 
Restriction: None Photo: Maurizio Rellini Tuscany is famous around the world for its great red wines. And if you want the very best then leave the crowded Chianti hills and head for Montalcino, about 100 kilometers southwest of Florence. This is the home of Brunello, meaning 'the nice dark one' in local dialect. Made from 100% Sangiovese grapes, the hot climate, dry soil and deep-growing roots produce an extraordinary wine which is recognised as one of the best, and most expensive, in Italy. Brunello should be aged for a minimum of four years in oak casks and a further twelve months in the bottle. Special reserves are aged much longer and some have suggested the wine needs at least ten years before it sheds its youthfulness. Its a slow, serious business and the vast cellars which house the ageing oak barrels appear, quite rightly, as solemn, silent temples dedicated to this most mythical of wines.
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