When we SOLD OUT FAST of boatloads of the 2015 of this very wine, it was clear that we needed to go back for more. Well, they said no more, we thanked them for what we got, and were about to hang up. WAIT they said, they DO have a little bit of the 2013 they were saving for a rainy day… it was raining on that fateful day… so here we are!

Back up for a second though, we’re still pinching ourselves with this notion: Brunello, 98-rated, library release, under $50.

Are we seeing things???

Year in, year out, Pertimali takes its place amongst the most traditional and magically hypnotizing reds of this heralded appellation, often considered a peer of legends like Biondi-Santi or Soldera. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate names them “a standard by which I judged the other wines of the region” and Livio Sassetti sits high on Agent Noir’s short list of the best of the very best of Brunello producers.

A gentle fading to a fireplace brick red on the rim past a deep crimson core. Classic aged Brunello notes of candied cherries, engulfed in dusty earth and spices, evolving like the pages of an old book at every whiff as minutes pass by, you can smell this all day. Ethereal on the palate with an airy, yet deeply rooted tannic spine peeking through cloud after cloud of juicy, savory, and savage notes of complexity. We lost track past 2-minutes with a finish that is seemingly endless. So much wine here, how could they fit it all into a bottle? Super easy to drink all WHILE imagining endless pairing possibilities, so plan ahead.

Antonio Galloni’s Vinous published this recap just a few months ago, “For over a century, the Sassetti family has produced one of the region’s most traditional wines in the Northeast of Montalcino. It’s on the Montosoli hill that they tend their Sangiovese vines, employing both organic and biodynamic practices to assure that each harvest captures the signature of the vineyard and the vintage. This passion-driven approach continues in the winery, where respect for tradition is coupled with a hands-off mentality. The grapes are allowed to ferment spontaneously before being moved by gravity, during specific phases of the moon, into large oak botti for a long slumber. What emerges from this cellar is a traditionally-styled Brunello with an attractive rustic edginess, which speaks of the vintage first, and then the unique galestro soils and hillside exposures of Montosoli.”

Wait, did we say won’t last? Hope you snatch all you can afford.

98 Points – James Suckling

“This is intense and complex yet subtle with fantastic aromas of rose petal, plum, clove and fresh mushroom. Hints of stems. Full body, focused and polished with a linear line of tannins and fabulous length. A beauty. Better after 2021 but already a joy to taste.”