Private Collection: Brunello di Montalcino, including a large selection of the excellent Fattoria dei Barbi, and Salvioni.
2/5/2025
Relative to the arguably excessive amount of old Nebbiolo that I’ve been indulged in, I don’t have a lot of experience with mature Sangiovese. One of the first wines that I tasted on a due-diligence basis for Chambers Street when we opened in 2001 was 1964 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico; my low expectations were far exceeded by a beautiful and delicate wine that still haunts me. Since then I’ve had just a handful of opportunities to focus on older Sangiovese; one of the most memorable was on Feb. 25th, 2020 (just before the end of the world) when a group of customers and I were treated to a dozen Brunellos dating from 1964 -1999. It was one of those great nights when everything shines, but I particularly liked the 3 Barbi wines (1964, 1970, 1986), which stood out for their elegance and finesse. On another occasion I tasted wonderful bottles of 1975, 1977, and 1982. Barbi is one of the oldest Montalcino estates; they first offered a wine labeled Brunello in 1931. in the period represented in this offer there were about 20 hectares of vines, and the wine was made in the traditional manner, producing wines well suited for long aging; I believe a fair parallel can be drawn with old-school Rioja. In any case this is a great opportunity to try some fine old Brunello!
-Jamie Wolff
