[Gourmand Next Door] Why Brunello is worth the wait

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Our next encounter with Tuscan wines takes us to the hilltop commune of Montalcino. A two-hour drive south from Chianti. Here is the fabled wine, Brunello di Montalcino. 

Barely a blip on the international map nearly 50 years ago, how did this small commune of fewer than 6,000 residents come to produce one of the most expensive wines of Italy?

That's today’s agenda; why Brunello di Montalcino deserves both your attention and cash. On average, it is nearly quadruple the price of Chianti Classico. So, is it the rarity of the grape, the scarcity of production, or the novel application of ageing? To wit: no, a bit, and yes. Taking each in turn will give us a better understanding of this wine, and why it causes such demand.