Pertimali (Livio Sassetti), Brunello di Montalcino

dusty, mushroom, wet forest floor, parmesan, yet with balsamic acidity. Great garnet.

2004 vintage

This proved to be exactly what I wanted to enjoy with a massive veal rib chop in the midst of this big east coast snow storm. At first perhaps a tad bit pruney, but that soon blew off and this was rich, full, red fruited, a heap of moist rich dark earth, and a quite resolved palate feel, not as acidic as other producers, but very typical of Livio Sassetti's style and skill. I learned Brunello from drinking early vintages …

2001 vintage

Still deep red, a little cloudy but no brown edges despite almost 30 years old. Cellared for many years which no doubt helped. Cherry fruits on the nose, still structured but overall the balance and finish was what made this wine so good. At or slightly past peak but drinking very well now!

1997 vintage

Wow. Just wow. Drinking at its peak and so fun to drink.

2010 vintage

Last tasted one year ago out of magnum. One year later out of a 750ml bottle, this wine was singing and aging gracefully especially compared to our first bottle nine years ago. Ruby red brown color with bricking on the edge. Cherries, blackberries, black cherries, tobacco, leather, earthiness, and hints of chocolate, herbalness and spice in the nose. Blackberries, black cherries, plums and hints of licorice and minerality in the flavor. Very well balanced, complex, medium to full bodied, nice …

2010 vintage

Bing cherries, cocoa, touch of vanilla. A bit of leather and pepper on the palette. Very fine tannins to hold it all together. A wine at the peak of its powers.

2010 vintage

Elegant & ready. I have 1 left that I'll drink in the next 2-5yrs.

2010 vintage

Bright clear medium ruby color. Delicious fruit pies and fresh mixed berries on the nose. Delicious sweet ripe mixed berries including blueberries, a little diluted blackstrap molasses, and plum-skin. Really well-made .

2010 vintage

Notes of cherries, tomato leaf, leather, mushrooms and that Tuscan funk. Really intense nose that jumps out of the glass. Probably 10 years from prime, but very drinkable with meat that tones down the tannins. Beautiful and ambitious wine with lots of complexity.

2010 vintage

Medium garnet with medium intensity, developed aromas of sour cherry, strawberry, fruitcake, tobacco, tar, leather, mushroom, and Asian spice. The flavors match the aromas with the addition of nutmeg and chocolate, especially on the medium plus finish. This wine has medium acidity and body along with high alcohol and medium tannins. B: 6 L: 5 I: 6 C:7 I would say that this wine is slightly past peak at this point. The fruit intensity takes a backseat to the secondary …

2010 vintage

Mature but plenty of fresh cherry fruit. Lovely wine.

2004 vintage

2 hour decant. Nose of earthy cherry, leather, and light incense. Broad swath of sour cherry, red plum, and roses on the palate with medium plus acidity. Lots of baking spice, a touch of orange citrus and long, caressing tannins and sun-baked earth on the finish.

2012 vintage

Upon opening, this is a bit stinky on the nose. The palate shows good volume and sweet, but stewed black cherries and tomato. We shall see what a few minutes of air brings… This has opened nicely with aroma of aged leather-bound books, grilled black cherries and roasting meat. Med-full bodied and supple, with a gorgeous texture that caresses the palate! Very late in life, but what a special wine! Later still: It’s actually getting sweeter and purer. This is …

2001 vintage

Decanted for one hour; light sediment. Medium garnet color. Delightful combination of cherry, menthol and pencil shavings on the nose. Medium-bodied ripe fruit on the palate, embellished by bright acids and soft tannins. A nice, lengthy finish. Should be drinking well through its 20th birthday. At my $75 price, a good QPR.

2010 vintage

Considerable red bricking clear at edge. After an hour decanted aromas of fading blueberry, leather and maybe a little VA plus Christmas spices. Bright medium bodied flavors taste more youthful than the nose with balanced acidity and slightly prickly tannin with good length and mid palate. Delicious flavors that finish clean and long and bring you back for more whereas nose is less interesting. First time with this vintage so don’t know where this sits on its trajectory.

2010 vintage

Wow. Really opened up with a couple hours of air. Just a striking wine. I'd say drink now because it's turned the corner at this point, but it's certainly not over the hill or anything.

2010 vintage

At first taste after opening initially I thought it was bad. But of course, with patience over a couple of hours, it opened up beautifully, ready to drink now, but will be good for another five years.

2012 vintage

2 hour decant. Phenomenal wine, in a perfect place right now.

2010 vintage

Opened and decanted. The nose was fruit with hints of leather. The palate was berries, cherry, tobacco and leather. The finish was moderate to long.

2012 vintage

Two hour decant. Beautiful perfumed nose, with perfect balance of tannins and predominant flavors of red fruits/cherries, with a long lasting finish. While in a prime drinking window now, it has the stuffing go another 3-5 years. Served with Veal Vesuvio. Zivio!

2012 vintage

Well, still a beautiful wine, you need to drink it now. A little past its prime. Believe it or not, give it a little air and the fruit comes out. Blackberry, Bramble and earth. Drink it now.

2010 vintage

I’m a tough grader. Medium body but great length and a kind of airy transparency into the finish. Cherries, slightly earthy and ripe. Delicious.

1997 vintage

4th Saturday Group brown bagger (EBCC) : Blind. Opens with a hint of bouillon, followed by currants and leather. Full-bodied. Plummy dark fruit on the palate. None of us picked this out as Sangiovese.

2004 vintage

Wow, this just exploded out of the glass the moment the cork was popped. This is the best case of Brunello: an almost Bordeaux-like nose, huge, fragrant, complex, secondary, haunting and then a palate with loads of cedar, balsa, cherry, very pure Sangiovese. For me, Brunello doesn't drink a lot better than this.

2001 vintage

This did show as well as previous bottles. This was a little more prune than I was expecting and didn't show its best until day two

2010 vintage

Bright red fruit, game, savory. Fully body and a nice experience. Drinking very well right now.

2012 vintage

Outstanding In its window and starting already* to show some aged character. The only problem with it is that it was so good on PnP it didn't last more than an hour and a half! Scribbled notes: Oh this is nice right on PnP. Rustic, even feral, toasted earthy tones, dark cherry, eucalyptus, dusty earth, some pipe tobacco. Ripe here for sure, but not at all heavy. Tannins fine, but still finding a good place on the close. Next one …

2010 vintage

in it's drinking window now. Enjoy. Feels like this winemaker is inconsistent across vintages, having less to do with a given climate but more to do with how they're making the wine. '10 obviously a superb vintage for them, '15 should have been but wasn't. Same for '19. Huh.

2010 vintage

so developed and yet still so young.

2010 vintage

Out of magnum. Last tasted almost eight years ago. This bottle was decanted for a little over an hour and continued to improve in the glass through dinner. I will decant the next bottle longer than we did this one. Garnet brown color. Cherries, blackberries, black cherries, tobacco, leather, earthiness, and notes of spice, floral and herbalness in the nose. Blackberries, black cherries, plums and hints of licorice and minerality in the flavor. Very well balanced, complex, full bodied, nice …

2010 vintage

Rocking good. Deep.

1997 vintage

60 minute decant. Nose shoes red cherries and cherry wood. Bright red cherry and sour cherry intermingle on the palate with rose water, allspice, and light leather and cedar delivered with a sharp jolt of acidity. Leather builds on the finish with medium tannins, red plum, cherry skins, and aged oak. Cherry-driven but nicely balanced and drinking well.

2012 vintage

classic style; still young at heart

2010 vintage

6 hours without cork. Last 2 decanted. Finally started to relax. Some fruit, much more tertiary flavors. Had with Heidi’s home made meat balls. Got even better after dinner.

2010 vintage

Cigar box, earthy, tomato leaf, well aged and dry fruit

1997 vintage

From mag, notes as before but adding that this is in its absolute sweetspot now. Very balanced and juicy.

2012 vintage

From a 1.5 format. Subsequent notes on this wine from 8 years ago. Dark reddish garnet in color with no signs of aging. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes of roses, truffle, leather, dried herbs of sage & anise, tobacco, spices, cocoa/espresso, minerals & cedar notes. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, with layer upon layers of …

2010 vintage

minor bricking:lovely, the fruit is softer with some complexity; stand for sediment; just right with a tomatoey deep dish pizza; drink up.

1997 vintage

Smoky, herby, tobacco, earth, wet forest, leather are primary. But cherries (leaning sour), strawberries balance it. Fruit is secondary here. Quite good.

2012 vintage

showing all the savory, herbal, saddle & tannery notes of the last bottle, which it is important to note, are attractive. completely mature, fruit is more dried plums & sour cherry, secondary to earth, sage & leather. last of six, purchased on release & well-stored, not disappointed in any sense.

2004 vintage

didn't take notes. But really enjoyed this wine -excellent blend of sweet / sour cherry and savory herbs/tobacco. 94+/-

2012 vintage

A better showing than my last bottle. Despite being just over 10 years old I am slightly hurrying these out of the cellar as the last couple of bottles have tasted a little cooked but this one was pretty good and nicely balanced with some characteristic BdM cherry driven earthy fruit flavours. Still not one of my favourites Brunellos, but a better showing and I won't rush the last bottle.

2012 vintage

Time to drink.

2012 vintage

This is youthful and quite primary at this point. I drank via Coravin but I think this wine needs a good decant. This is very similar to the other 2010s I have had in the past where the wine is big boned and tightly wound at this stage. It has lots of room for improvement and will be great to re visit this in 3-5 years. 94-95

2010 vintage

This wine was absolutely superb. Beautiful and alluring nose and very well balanced. Tannins still very present. I opened this based on the notes from others, and while I don’t regret opening it, I want to share with others that this wine has another 5-10 years easily.

2012 vintage

Slow oxed for roughly five hours. This is a medium red wine that shows glimpses of an orange rim and has very minor sediment at the end of the bottle. The nose is classic and expressive BdM, highlighting cherry, sage, and rosehips. In the mouth, this is midweight, balanced, and featuring a nice range of red fruit. The finish is crisp and chewy, inviting one back for another sip. Overall, this was a quality Brunello. It faded a bit over …

2010 vintage

Elegant BdM that is ready to drink. Soft and round, yet elegant and medium bodied. The warm vintage shows in the softness, low acidity and fully resolved tannins. The opposite of a blockbuster - an easy to drink BdM at full maturity. May last longer, but with the low acidity and tannins drink sooner rather than later.

2012 vintage

Great drink Big cherry herb nose Follows in the mouth Not a big wine lean middle Loved it and i will drink what i have now

2012 vintage

Drinking exceptional right now. The texture stands out to me the most, along with the complexity of the nose, the balance, and then purity and freshness of fruit. Most memorable bottle I've had so far in 2024. PnP. Light to medium garnet, some flecks of reddish/orange. Nose is robust and darker in fruit profile. Smells mostly primary at first, but then gains some complexity with further hints of sweet pipe tobacco and cigar box, smoky ash, dark anise and espresso …

2010 vintage

Subsequent notes on this wine from 8 years ago. Deep dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes of roses, spices, herbs, tobacco, leather, tar, mocha, sandalwood & a hint of cedar in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, lush, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & …

2004 vintage

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Pertimali (Livio Sassetti), Brunello di Montalcino

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