Friends and colleagues have opened some stunning wines for me on this trip to Italy (and I’ll have much to report in coming weeks). But one of the most thrilling so far was this 1968 Vin Santo by Fanetti, one of my favorite producers of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

In the U.S., we tend to think of Vin Santo as cloying dessert wine, meant for drinking immediately and sopping cantucci, the Tuscan cookies.

But the real Vin Santo is intended for long-term aging that allows its zinging acidity, nuanced balance of overripe stone fruit, and nutty and caramel flavors to emerge.

Despite having been opened for some time (I imagine a few weeks), this wine, shared with me by my brother in rock ‘n’ roll Federico Marconi, was incredibly fresh and bright, and its aromas and flavors had attained a technicolor focus that guided me down a Yellow Brick Road of sensorial depth. Unbelievable…

Later in the day, we visited Vino Nobile producer Godiolo, where I snapped this photo of Grechetto grapes drying for Vin Santo. Note the spot on every berry: the Tuscans call their clone of Grechetto pulce in culo or flea in the ass.

I really dug Godiolo’s wines and will have a full report in coming weeks…