Lisini Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

Most wine critics and sommeliers are very stingy with the word “perfect.” Not me. Maybe I would be if I used a point scale, but I’m of the belief that there are a lot of perfect wines out there, especially in a blessed vintage like 2015.Take Lisini’s new-release Brunello di Montalcino, for instance. This is one of Tuscany’s all-time great producers at the very top of its game, which was confirmed by the critics when the ’15 was released earlier this year, but yes, I’m going to take it a step further and throw a “perfect” at it. And, having appreciated and worked with Lisini Brunellos for more than 20 years, there’s another thing I want to say about this producer: Although Brunello di Montalcino is billed as one of the world’s most age-worthy red wines, the reality is that very few—and especially not the sappy, chunky, ‘modern’ styles that were all the rage in the ’90s and 2000s—actually deliver in their old age. Lisini delivers. I saw it time and again during my career in restaurants.