2017 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti), Brunello di Montalcino

The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino makes itself known with a burst of dusty black raspberries, mentholated herbs, crushed ashen stone and dark flowery undergrowth. Silky-smooth and round in feel, it impresses with a cooling wave of mint-infused wild berry fruits mixed with balsamic spices and wood-smoked salts. While the 2017 doesn’t have the weight and density you’d expect from such a young Pertimali, yet it makes up for it with grace and purity, leaving a light coating of tannins and minerals to mingle throughout the finale. In order to uphold their standards of quality, production was down by a whopping 50%.

The Sassetti Livio Pertimali 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is quite bright and lifted with cherries and fresh fruits that pop from the glass. The primary intensity is radiant in this wine, setting it apart from many of its peers. It covers the palate with mid-weight intensity, nice acidity and silky tannins. The brightness you get here is so attractive now, so I see little reason to wait much longer before pulling this cork. This is a 38,000-bottle release.

Maturing mid ruby. A spice-laden nose with cherry-liqueur notes underneath. Rich, mellow but not sweet cherry fruit on the palate. Supple, long finish with tannic bite. Completely ready now. (WS)