2014 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino 750 ml

The noblest Sangiovese expressions come from the warm, dry climate of Brunello di Montalcino—and some of Montalcino’s most renowned bottles come from the hill of Montosoli, which Forbes called Brunello’s “Grand Cru.”.

Sassetti has spent decades working their Pertimali vineyard on Montosoli. Here, well-drained galestro (schist and clay) soils yield deeply colored grapes with rich concentration, while elevation and maritime breezes keep nights cool, rewarding Sassetti with wines of magnificent flavor and gorgeous structure.  

Ever since Livio Sassetti helped found the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino—the association that helped set the standard for top-tier Brunello—over 50 years ago, the estate has been turning out wines so complex and fiercely traditional that Robert Parker once declared, “If I had only one Brunello to drink, it would be Pertimali.”

This 2014 puts their brilliance on full display. In a cool, wet growing season, fourth-generation winemaker Lorenzo Sassetti had to select his clusters carefully, and the ones he brought in delivered vibrancy and finesse. He gave the wine 36 months in Slovenian oak, and after several more years in bottle it’s showing beautifully.

It’s old-school Brunello at its finest—a deep, balanced mosaic of intricate fruit and savory notes. Forty-five minutes in the decanter reveals aromas of dried cherry, orange peel, cranberry, and herbs. The palate shows notes of red plum and dried strawberry, accented by leather, tobacco, and fresh coffee. 

Vinous and James Suckling each awarded it 94 points, the best score of ANY 2014 Brunello in either publication. As Vinous put it: “Pertimali really nailed it.”