Sassetti Livio Pertimali Brunello 2015

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

From David Ridge (importer)

Always an enigmatic wine, it’s no surprise points are all over the place most years. This is a formidable wine, with layers of both complexities and ‘protection’ in the form of unusually (for Montalcino) aggressive sooty and black-tea tannins, which make it a tardy opener. But. When it blossoms, it is a symphony of flowers, rose and violet, cherry and licorice aromatics and flavours and that omni-present sootiness, dried-herb, earth and coffee grounds. And Sangiovese’s lovely savoury tang.

About Pertimali

“This tiny estate, which has been making spectacular wines since 1982, makes some of the finest red wines in Tuscany. I am beginning to think that if I had only one Brunello di Montalcino to drink it would have to be Pertimali. Unfortunately, quantities are microscopic, making availability a major headache.”

Robert M Parker, April ‘96

Of course one always agrees with Parker when it suits, doesn’t one – even if these never were what you might call Parkerised wines. I have been as keen on Pertimali since my first experiences too. It was the very good ’94 (much better vintage there than most other places). The Pertimali style is probably not quite like anyone else’s.

These continue a tradition of really native Montalcino wines, quite nervy and essentially elegant wines with that distinct smoky, coffee-grounds, char and licorice Montosoli thing. The combination of the finesse and persistence of its northern Montalcino site, on the fabulous Montosoli slope, with an ability to get ripeness, results in a wine with both the gamey/leather/mushroom/tobacco persona and the black fruits, vegemite and graphite, tighter elements. Unlike maybe most Brunello, which can often perform quite quickly at table – well at least much faster than say Barolo! – these do need a bit more air. What you get are layers of the characters mentioned and in fascinating waves, persistent and re-appearing.

In the Vineyard

Livio Sassetti, part-time poet and an original founder of the Brunello Consorzio (1967) consolidated his father’s keen eye for the best vineyard land to bring their holdings of the great slope of Montosoli up to 16 ha, 12 of it able to produce Brunello di Montacino. The presence of another ‘Div 1’ producer Altesino and the consistent high results by others, like Canalicchio di Sopra and the wonderful cru La Casa of Carpazo tend to confirm the status of this treasured 75 ha patch, just north east of Montalcino. As ever, the wise old heads realised that the best wine comes from the best vineyards. This mostly south-facing slope is composed of marl and siliceous limestone soils, great for acidity, austerity, deep roots and excellent drainage. Altitude is from 350 up to 400 meters, and the whole terroir, soils and location offer notably lower temperatures than even a little further south (within the Montalcino zone). Vineyard practises are generally biodynamic – as they have been for decades now.

In the Winery

Current custodian Lorenzo Sassetti keeps the winemaking simple and consistent and essentially the same for both wines – a gentle press, with must and skins together in the ferment for 12-15 days at 28˚C. Yeasts are indigenous. Rosso does its time in tank then bottle, generally without any oak and Brunello has 36 months in 30hl Slavonian wood and 6 more months in bottle. So they’re not really ‘Parker’ wines at all, but pure expressions of the Brunello of Montalcino.

The 2015 Brunello Vintage

Well, well, well! Every year winemakers (… or their marketing team) around the world tell us it’s the vintage of the decade, maybe even the vintage of the century! Every vintage I make wine I call it the vintage of the year determined to take the P.1.S.S. out of all the marketers!

It’s happened again with the 2015 wines of Brunello. James Suckling Top Italian wine for last your was a Brunello, in fact it was his top wine for the WORLD!  Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne 2015. His top 100 wines were dominated by 35 Brunelli! Virtually all were 2015’s with the exception of a couple of Riservas from 2013.

The Rosso di Montalcinos we saw from 2015 certainly support the vintage being a pretty tasty one.

The message is clear BACK THE TRUCK UP!

James Suckling Thoughts on the 2015 Vintage in Brunello

The 2015 vintage is a historical year for Brunello di Montalcino that nobody should miss. The wines show impressive precision of vivid fruit, fine tannins and freshness in acidity despite their ripeness and richness which makes them some of the most exciting in years.

Winemakers in Montalcino were never better prepared to produce outstanding wines in a year like 2015 with their exactness in their vineyards and cellars from fine-tuned canopy management and crop thinning to optical sorting and soft fermentations. So many wine producers in Montalcino made excellent wines in 2015.

‘Depth of fruit and endless length’

My son Jack and I have tasted 187 2015 Brunellos so far this year and the quality is terrific. We rated about half 95 points or more – classic quality. The wines will be officially available in the market beginning in January 2020. But we wanted to give you a preview of the best Brunellos from the vintage, with some already available on a pre-arrival basis from wine merchants.

‘Balance and harmony’

“The words for the 2015 vintage are density, tannins and freshness,” says Roberto Guerrini, whose family owns Eredi Fuligni. He made the wine of his lifetime in 2015. We rated it 100 points. “The wines are rich, yet they are fresh at the same time. It is a great year.”

Where in the World are Pertimali?