Livio Sassetti Brunello di Montalcino 2016

The rise to vinous stardom may have come quickly for the estate, but the Sassetti family cemented their foundations in the Brunello appellation over a century ago – the Pertimali estate recognised as being one of the oldest and respected wineries in the region. The 16 hectare vineyard is located on a south-facing slope in the Montosoli hills, just north of Montalcino, commonly known to possess the finest terroirs in the area for the Sangiovese grape variety.Lorenzo Sassetti, fourth generation winemaker, currently manages the estate with the assistance of his wife Sabina – the dynamic couple have the reputation of producing wines of great character, depth and elegance by combining modern winemaking techniques and time-honoured traditions. The wines spend 36 months in Slavonian oak barrels before resting a further 6 months in bottle, allowing the bold wines to become more approachable in the aim of providing immediate drinking pleasure when the bottles hit the market.

James Suckling named Livio Sassetti his #3 wine of the Top 100 in 2020

"Blackberries, black walnuts and black cherries, as well as loads of chewy tannins. Some smoked wood, wood tannins and even black truffles. It’s full-bodied and powerful with loads going on. It just keeps growing on the palate. So much wet earth and black olive at the finish with porcini mushrooms, too. Needs time to soften. Crazy finish. Try after 2025." - James Suckling,  Ratings: 100 Drink: 2025-2040

"If checking in early, make sure to give the towering 2016 Brunello di Montalcino from Pertimali plenty of time to stretch its legs. It’s incredibly shy and backward upon first pulling the cork, coming to life nearly an hour later and never taking a step back from there on out. A beguiling display of spiced orange peels, sour cherry and mint pull you closer to the glass, where notes of cardamom, cinnamon, clove and sage reside. It’s dangerously soft and supple at first sip with fleshy red fruits and sweet spices blanketing the palate; yet beneath this soothing mix, a complex web of minerals and fine tannin slowly saturate. That said, there’s a lively bolt of acidity which maintains freshness in spite of the 2016’s heroic structure. Inner florals resonate along with a hint of white pepper, as it tapers off with classic austerity. This is a gorgeous vintage for Pertimali." - Eric Guido, vinous (11/2020) Ratings: 97, Drink: 2024-2040