Soldera Brunello at Tony’s…

For the last eight days, the world of wine has been reeling from the news that a vandal had destroyed more than 60,000 liters — six vintages — of Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino by legendary Tuscan winemaker Gianfranco Soldera.

Today, Eric Asimov of The New York Times reports that an arrest has been made in the case.

“A former employee of Case Basse di Soldera,” writes Asimov, “the great Brunello di Montalcino estate, has been arrested on charges of destroying more than 60,000 liters of wine, the Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported.”

“The report, chronicled by the Do Bianchi blog, suggested that the 39-year-old suspect, who was not identified, was angry because he had not been given lodging on the estate. In retribution, the authorities said, he entered the winery this month and emptied the large casks in which six vintages of wine had been aging. The loss came to nearly 84,000 bottles. The 2006 Soldera, the last vintage released, was selling for $250 to $350 a bottle before the crime.”

Tony Vallone began collecting these coveted bottles of Brunello since they first became available in the U.S.

And the restaurant features a vertical offering of the wines.

“We might have to wait until 2019 before there’s another vintage of these wines,” said General Manager Scott Sulma. “The news is such a tragedy. These wines are among the best in the world and we’re proud to feature them at Tony’s.”