As some of you may know, Brunello is a particular favorite of ours, yet this its first appearance as the baller wine for a Kompas Wine Club selection. Why? Because finding a legit Brunello that offers everything one expects of the category in the $50-55 range is rare, so we are very excited to finally offer not only a legit Brunello, but one with an arguably perfect amount of bottle age. Brunellos used to require at least a decade (or two) to be approachable, but with improved clonal selections, better vineyard management, better vinification technology and climate change, they are now often ready to drink long before ten years have elapsed. Brunellos, especially ones from outstanding vintages, such as 2013, can still go decades in the cellar, but every year that goes by dials down the fruit and dials up the savory, earthy and spicy notes. Many, if not most, wine drinkers prefer younger, fruitier wines and, to the dismay of many connoisseurs, dislike the complex flavors of well-aged wines. This wine balances the two ends of the spectrum, so the decision of when to drink is purely personal preference. Collematoni takes sustainability seriously and produces 80% of the power needed for the winery and its farming is certified organic. In the cellar, the use of temperature controlled fermentation tanks shows their embrace of modern techniques when they will improve the quality of the wine, and its use of traditional, large Slavonian oak casks for aging shows their allegiance to the time-tested success of Brunello made without undue flavor of oak interfering with its subtle intricacies.