Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino 1997
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Parker
Robert -
Spectator
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Readers should note that with the 1997 Brunello di Montalcino, the label has changed to emphasize the proprietor's name, Livio Sassetti, rather than the estate name, Pertimali. Always a top-notch Brunello, the 1997 is staggering in its aromatic fireworks and concentrated, long, intense flavors. Sumptuous aromas of dried Provencal herbs, roasted meats, soy, spice box, asphalt, truffles, and black fruits linger in the air. Flavors of new saddle leather are added to jammy black fruit characteristics. Opulently-textured, full-bodied, and gorgeously pure, this wine creates an olfactory overload.
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Wine Spectator
Balanced and refined. Very floral, with ripe fruit and a fresh undertone. Full-bodied, with well-polished tannins. A beauty. Still needs time
Other Vintages
1999-
Parker
Robert
In northeast Montalcino, the Sassetti family has produced wine for more than a century. On the hill known as Montosoli, Pertimali’s wines are renowned for representing the perfect balance between the fruit-forward wines of southern Montalcino and the dense, structured, mineral wines of the north. In the vineyard and in the cellar, father Livio and his two sons work in observance of time-honored traditions, including hand harvesting, giant oak botte, and spontaneous fermentations, all in accordance with the phases of the moon and organic farming regulations. The wines are rich, deep, and perfumed, reflecting a very genuine style of Sangiovese. In addition to Brunello and Rosso, Pertimali also produces the lush Super-Tuscan “Vigna Fili di Seta”, a barrique-aged blend of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet. The label, while emphasizing the name of Livio Sassetti, the prioprietor, also bears the estate’s historical name, Pertimali.
Lorenzo Sassetti is not only passionate about his native Sangiovese, but is a huge fan and consumer of Prosecco. After years of complaining about the uncomfortable reaction he suffered from after drinking Proseccos bottled with stratospheric levels of sulfites, he decided to take matters into his own hands. In 2012, he joined forces with an old friend with a few hectares of prime, hillside Prosecco vineyards in the heart of the Valdobbiadene DOCG to bottle some sparklers under his own terms. Using techniques including longer periods of lees contact and special tanks to keep musts kept at temperatures just barely above freezing right up until final fermentations were completed, he was able to bottle with less than 20 g/l of added sulfites. The first releases of the Sassetti bubbles were received with a resoundingingly positive reaction at their debut at our spring tasting to the point that nearly half our allocation of these small-production wines were pre-sold before the day was through.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.